


Soul Purpose

by NatureAccomplish



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Deities, Eventual Happy Ending, Human Trafficking/ Human Experimentation (not explicit), M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Somewhat Amnesia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:42:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 82,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25812985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NatureAccomplish/pseuds/NatureAccomplish
Summary: Blood and darkness haunt the recesses of his mind, intangible blurs of memory that indicate a life amiss. Eren Jaeger struggles with increasing restless anxiety, pointing him in the direction of his childhood abandoned home. In an attempt to find answers his past begins to unveil itself from a sinister evil. A tale of friendship and romance unfolds as Eren rebuilds his memoirs in horrifically dangerous adventures. These relationships strengthen his resolve to be the driving force protecting humanity from descending darkness. He's failed once already, but with the new revelations of a mind unbiased, will he gain the abilities he requires to right his mistakes and bring balance back to the world?
Relationships: Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir, Levi/Eren Yeager, Sasha Blouse/Connie Springer
Comments: 36
Kudos: 54





	1. Walking Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my work! 
> 
> This is my first fic, so I'd abide by the 3 second rule... turned 3 chapter rule. There are elements of mystery/ sleuth that take a bit to build before things kick off.
> 
> Enjoy 🌸

The subtle shift of the wind upthrusts a flurry of leaves that seemingly dance to their own paper chime. Staying true to the haunting symbol of time, every uplifting tug of a new-found air current is met with the inevitable spiral when the breeze tapers to an end. Light shimmers off the waxy texture of a leaf, highlighting the venation and equally plunging the faceted surface into darkness as it flips over. He watches the descent, somberly marveling at how its slow swaying in the air deceptively instills a peaceful melody.

The leaf looses its luster as it swiftly hovers over the gravel, and just as quickly its captivity, during a vengeful mad dash to collide with the ground. The object of attention, which had previously been looked at with a knowing sad acceptance of its fate, is now the subject of disappointed shock from the vibrant green eyes of the beholder. For the enraptured focus on the single leaf had left the boy completely unfocused at everything that entailed his surroundings. Too quickly did the lone item of foliage ascend to meet the greedy depths of a puddle. Quite an ugly pool, created by the excess wear and tear of a roadside; the type that looks glassy and utterly still despite the unassuming depths concealed beneath it.

This surreptitious information is revealed as his foot sacrifices the first exploration, too focused on the leaf to process the distance relationship to himself. The resounding splash from the plunge overtakes the somber chimes of his winged friends on the breeze. Eren is met with the loud whirring of motors and the obnoxious honk of early morning traffic. His attention broken, he's forced to return his thoughts back to which he was trying to forget himself. The restlessness. The anxious, unforgettable feeling that he needs to be moving. _Why? Where is this incessant notion coming from?_

 _Not sitting in traffic_ , the brunette ponders as he passes yet another stationary car on foot.

It had started at night, long before his friends retired for bed. His close companions picked up on his inner turmoil, what with practically being family. Not wanting to perturb them (and maybe a little bit of tucking tail and avoiding conflict) he'd resolved to going to bed early. At least, that’s what he informed them. He knew he wouldn’t sleep. _Couldn’t sleep_. There was too much built up emotion that had begun as just an echo a few months prior. _How did it get to this?_

Eren had sifted through his thoughts trying to get a handle on the situation, attempting to get rid of the nagging pull to get up and move. The quiet click of the television and the hushing whir of the air-conditioner was the only savior to the ringing silence, notifying Eren that the two had gone to their respective rooms. _Go. Go!_ His mind had shouted. _Stop_. Just as quickly, giving himself mental whiplash, Eren knew he wouldn’t be able to slip away unnoticed if he didn’t wait a few moments for his friends to fall into slumbers embrace. _Jesus, listen to yourself. You sound like a toddler sneaking candy_. But it didn’t matter. Somehow he knew deep down he had to do this.

He snuck out just after midnight. Didn’t waste another moment grabbing anything of necessity other than the phone in his pocket. It took more or less an hour to meander through town, redirecting himself this way and that as his internal compass led the way.

Did he know where he was going? Not back then he didn’t. Not until he reached the on-ramp to the highway. The oversized signage for I-10N was blazingly illuminated in the night, Eren's gut twisting in on itself at the visual. He knew then where this unknown pull was leading him, known as he walked within the dark.

Now, the breeze picked up again sending a cold draft that promised the visit of rain. Ever a fickle element of nature, there was no telling when the clouds would drift in to release its sorrows. Walking in the golden hour of early morn and gaining ever the more curious stares of commuters, he debates how he managed to walk on a nightly abandoned interstate unperturbed. Yet, he's got worse things to worry about, as the unpleasant feeling works its way back to his attention. It properly serves as a heading warning, an ever careful reminder of the fuzzy memories it surfaces from. But that was for another time. Now he's got to be satisfied at the concept that he's moving. _To the source or resolution of his troubles?_ Well, he doesn’t know.

What he does know, is he'll go absolutely insane if he keeps thinking about it. The bottleneck of traffic begins to thin out, the staggered revving of engines having enough at the game of stop and go. The mechanical buzz increases to a constant thrum and the vehicles whirring past blur his peripherals. It drowns out his rumination and soothes him back to complacency once again. The speed of his not-so-involved traveling companions resonate with his own desire to cap the distance.

His phone rings in his pocket with the distant note of a familiar tune. He knows who it is without having to look. Judging by the fact the sun is only two finger’s width of a hand away from the horizon, Mikasa must have gone to check up on him first thing. He immediately feels guilty at the amount of worry and panic she must have felt.

_Shit. Is still feeling. What do I tell her?_

_The truth_ , he reasons immediately. Mikasa can snuff out any white lie, especially when it comes to him. Nervously swallowing, he snatches the cell out of his pocket and swipes the call icon, purposely not giving himself time to rethink his decision. He really loves her, he can’t be doing things like this to her.

“Hello.”

“Eren.” She has such a gentle, soft voice. Quite the contrast to her guarded body language and warrior state of mind. That utterance of his name speaks paragraphs to him. Relieved that he answered, sad he hadn’t confided in her, and angry at his recklessness. Most of all, and what hits Eren the hardest- she's scared. Nothing rarely scares Mikasa, not unless it involves him.

“I’m walking down I-10N." He dives right into it, cutting out the bullshit. It scares him too when she's afraid. When Mikasa shows the most emotion is because she fears to loose something that won’t allow her to feel at all. He never wants to see her like that fateful day they met. 

There’s a sharp intake of breath on the other line and a moment of silence to process the implications. “I’m coming to get you.”

“No.” He immediately interjects.

“There’s no arguing, Eren.” Her tone is matter-of-fact, lacking the hostility or disappointment that would normally accompany the expression.

Closing his eyes and enjoying the sun’s first warming rays hitting his skin, Eren resolves himself with the new addition of the vibrant energy. “Mikasa, I have to do this. You can’t stop me.”

“Why do you need to go to that house?” Her voice rises an octave to surmount her turmoil. Understandably, it’s not everyday that people take off for their abandoned childhood home. Even more irrationally, on foot despite the fact it takes a good hour and a half by car. He remains silent, not sure of the answer to that himself. He hasn’t been back since his mother died. He never planned on going back. “Eren please. Did something happen?” Mikasa and Armin have been using roundabout tactics all week to determine the cause of Eren’s odd and restless manner. She’s desperate and outright asking now.

“Listen Mika. I’m programmed differently than you and Armin. You both get by brilliantly using your head. You know I always react to instinct.” It sounds cringey to his own ears, but he doesn’t know how else to explain it.

“Go on.” The more direct translation would conceptualize 'if there’s not a valid enough reason to convince me then I'm going to be pissed off'. Mikasa could destroy entire countries if she wanted to when she's pissed.

“I have a gut feeling," his voice is lined with urgency as he attempts to convince her of a valid answer. "No, it’s like something is physically pulling me. I don’t know how I know, but I need to go to that house.”

“Walking. Instead of asking Armin or I for a ride.”

 _Yep, she’s pissed._ Worse off, she’s just not getting what Eren’s trying to avoid having to admit. _Guess we've never kept secrets before, why start now?_ “You should put me on speaker.” He knows Armin is listening in too, but he can’t be mad at the cute bastard. “I don’t want to repeat this twice.”

“Done.”

 _Completely ruthless, the two of them. Not even an apology for the covert inclusion_. He drags out a sigh and runs a hand through his hair. Opens his mouth- closes it back shut. Tries again and ends up clenching his hair in his hands. “I don’t know how to… I need to…” He puts his head in his hands and reminds himself to just breathe. In and out like the slow rhythm of a heartbeat, reminding him that he's alive. _When did this become important?_ It’s a bit unusual to contemplate the status of one's mortality, yet so is his current situation. “I need a moment to figure out how to correctly word this.”

It’s silent on the other end, which only enumerates his friend’s concern for him. He doesn’t want to screw this up. Throwing his head back in frustration, his eyes zero in on a soaring hawk. Its wings begins to tip slightly to the left, turning on the wind and then proceeding to make a lazy circle. It doesn’t linger long, straightening its course and flying over the trees to his right, disappearing out of sight. _Enough playing around and just go for it, huh? Signal read loud and clear._

“It comes in bits and pieces.” He clears his throat, not anticipating how raspy the sentence comes out. “It’s hazy. Well, not entirely. I see everything clearly, but I just don’t know enough about what happens in-between to understand what’s going on.”

“Sorry Eren, you’re going to have to clue me in more. What is it that you're seeing, a dream?” Only Armin would apologize for seeking more information, like he was afraid that interrupting would somehow withhold him from the knowledge sought. It's welcomed though, it helps guide Eren’s words as Mikasa says too few of them to begin with.

“No Armin, that’s the scary part. I don't think it's a dream- rather a memory.” He sucks in a breath and begins to explain the overlying issues with the idea of having disturbing recollections. He makes sure to skim over the details of his vision, relying on the overall concept of having forgotten an important part of his past.

~~

Eren's feet scrape against the gravel as he skids to a stop, resounding a quiet echo throughout the forest. His gaze lingers with the fine dust billowing wistfully into the air from his disturbance. Reluctantly, he pries his emerald eyes from the floating orbs to observe his surroundings.

 _When did I depart the highway?_ I-10N sectioned to a split if you followed it far enough. Continuing straight, the merge of the highway is simply renamed and directed to the next neighboring city. Just before this merge is an off-ramp leading to a sad, broken road, society not deeming it important enough to bear signage. This nameless road is an open countryside, patches of barren meadows broken by strands of large lumbering forests. Noticeably throughout it all is the lack of human interference. The abandoned gravel trail that barely passes as a road is disturbingly empty, like there is an unseen force guarding against those who pass. 

He'd been seven years old when he had last gazed upon these woods. Returning now, fourteen years later, Eren is rattled to recognize the meandering trail so perfectly. _It’s like it hasn’t changed at all. Seriously._ The dark and shifting branches of the trees outcompeting each other for the attention of the sun only ever shot higher up into the air. Never arching or spanning across the passageway to efficiently overshadow the understory, which would inhibit small shrubs and herbaceous plants from colonizing the trail. Despite this, it appears as it did exactly when Eren was a child. Like he never left.

Sucking in a breath, he steels his resolve to continue the trek. The sun now mirrors its stance from the morning- yet appearing as a traitor on the opposite end of the sky. Letting out his extenuating breath, he places one foot in front of the other. This is it, the last bend in the gravel path before he arrives to where he's anxiously destined. His gut reassumes its churning as he passes under the threshold of the trail where the tree line begins. _Why do I feel this burning alertness of being sensed by something?_ It's like his foot set off an invisible trip line that two-folded as a doorbell.

 _Okay so maybe I really am going crazy_. But he's always relied on instinct, knowing somehow that his feelings of skin crawling and hair rising with goosebumps is validated somehow.

Eren reflects great relief on the agreement his friends had settled upon. He didn’t want them here. He would never want to chance his friends into any sort of unexplored danger. Doubling his pace and adrenaline, he becomes increasingly grateful for the agreeance to give him space. A couple days to somberly revive his old home ( _who knows what the current state of the building is like_ )while reflecting on his personal situation in solitude. That was all he could've asked, seeing as any lengthier a piece of time would be unquestionable. The protective concern of his friends had led to the terms and conditions applied: consistent updates and constant communication. This is simply to ensure that Eren won't be lying dead in a ditch somewhere. _After all, what is there to update in the middle of nowhere?_ If Eren ceased communication for any lengthy period of time, the two of them would fly the coop for an undiagnosed rescue mission.

Armin and Mikasa acted over the phone as if there was something they sought to tell Eren, a withholding of information. The drawn out silences in conversation were too frequent, implying the two were talking with the unspoken communication of the eyes. It was surprisingly easy to compel his friends to keep their distance and they were readily agreeable on the terms set. _They know something they’re not telling me_.

Eren is aware of his acquiring closeness to the property as he passes through a mirage of shifting light created by the branches of the forest. _It’s just around this corner_. Continually ignoring the eerie feeling of being observed, he forces himself to look down at his feet in an urgency to proceed with his quest. There would be no turning back now. Fight the bleary edges of darkness creeping in from the sun’s descent by focusing on one foot after the other. The anxiety, anticipation, adrenaline, and insecure emotions derived from the lack of situational security all weigh down on him with each additional footfall.

Continual effort to shut down his mind, which rationally is urging him to flee, makes the last one hundred feet of distance teasingly painful. The clunky, irritating rhythm of the rubber sole of his shoes scraping gravel gradually builds in annoyance. Instead of rushing the movement to hasten the time spent with the abrasive scratching, Eren slows down. His steps are loud and methodical, like a well-timed trail of bread crumbs. Except the crumbs are made of sound to seemingly give away his position, fear interpreting each footfall as a tracking update. Just when he can’t take the feeling of being observed any longer, with his gut clenching at the idea of his coming here being a mistake, his foot thuds to a stop onto a soft pad of moss to effectively absorb the sound.

It's a clearing, he realizes. Well, it's a front yard technically. Nontraditional in the sense that most people don’t live in the woods in the middle of nowhere, and that it could be debated the extent of the rocky driveway actually encompassed the massive expanse of a front yard. More importantly, and less debatable, was the solid revelation that Eren's arrived. The fading light of daylight casts a low glow on the foreboding property. Abandoned and dark, the house stands untouched in the center of the lawn, surrounded by an enclosure of trees.

It's as if the forest itself is scared of encroaching on the house, dare it receive backlash from a disturbing force.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mikasa and Eren's meeting is cannon, as implied in the chapter. I might mention it briefly in the duration of this fic, but I won't dwell on it. 
> 
> Now click that next chapter button ->


	2. The Woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well well well, hello again. Looks like someone is at least a tinge interested... 😉
> 
> I'll leave you to it then, read on!

He hasn’t more than a few moments in the property to retrace the basic layout of the first floor before the sun dips below the horizon for good. He’s got just enough time to plot out sleeping on the lounge in the parlor instead of stumbling around in darkness for an upper story bedroom. After sinking into the plush fabric of the furniture, Eren manages a decent sigh of relief for the accomplishment of traveling, before alarm settles in. The hair raising sensation of being watched comes back with a vengeance. Startling Eren, he leaps from his temporary reprieve to pace around the room.

He hadn’t thought the feeling to be of malicious intent when he was trekking down the driveway. It'd felt more like a snake hissing not to veer too close. Now however, it feels like full fury.

His survival instincts finally kick in as his mind tells him to keep away from the windows. _Of course, because I just so happen to be in a room made almost entirely of windows._ The parlor withholds all the original antiquity one would guess based off the fact the old house even contains a parlor. The single exterior wall composed entirely of windows, in all its grandeur, showcases the historical handmade glass complete with imperfections. Before windows became industrialized and cloned to be seamless, individual pieces retained unique characteristics. This glass is thick and then thin, smooth and then bubbly, see through and then…

Well, _un_ see through.

Eren forces his legs to still and his mind to do what he often dislikes the most: stop and think rationally in a manner Armin would. _Why should I retreat from the windows? Because whatever is out there is coming from that direction. Instead of instinctively withdrawing from the glass, I should locate and analyze the threat._

He lets out a whisper of a curse as he leans in closer to the window in an attempt to validate what he’s seeing.

There’s a lady standing in the woods.

The silhouette of a figure hazes to a blur as his breath fogs up the glass. Instantly regretting his antsy anticipation to discern the newcomer, Eren hastily wipes at the window to clear the view. Yet, the spiteful scenario only proves unyielding, as there she remains. Eren blearily rubs his eyes, returns his gaze, then instantly rubs his eyes again in the hopes of changing the results of his experiment. The outcome never waivers, much to his dismay. Thirty yards away from where he again places his hands on the glass is the appearance of a woman standing just outside the skirt of the tree line. The massive clearing separating the house from the woods does nothing to soothe Eren’s nerves.

 _She’s looking right at me. But that isn’t possible, is it?_ Nothing should be able to see into the house. The stars and the moon combined offer more light than the enclosed structure he currently occupies. Eren hadn’t bothered to switch a light on, the house has been abandoned far too long that he doubts the electric has been payed in over a decade.

Looking away from the trespasser, he narrows his eyes while determinedly making up his mind. Slowly swaying his foot back, he takes a leisurely step towards the left side of the room. Keeping his pace drawn out and deliberate, he methodically works his way to the corner without taking his hand off the glass. When he achieves his goal, his eyes draw back to the spot where she'd materialized. _Shit._

She didn’t move from her spot- at least not further nor closer than her current position. What the stranger did do is confirm Eren’s dreaded observation. Her body noticeably shifted to the left, actively following his modified location. _She_ _can_ _see me._

_How? It shouldn’t be humanly possible. Yet, what lady willingly appears in the middle of nowhere, alone. Approaching from a forest, at night, to a creepy abandoned house? Do I really need to go on?_

He knows with an absolute gut intuition that he won’t be able to uphold the promise to his friends. He can't explain how or why, but there's a finality associated with the woman's appearance that spells death. _I 'm so determined to find the source of my memory fragments, I just walked my happy ass straight into the hands of death._ What angers Eren more is the finality of never discovering the memory he's lost. Even while accepting his mortal mistake of a journey, somehow remembering the substance to his hazy recollections seems so dire.

There’s no probable way to secure the household, not to mention the possibility that she may have been inside beforehand and could have altered any aspect of the dwelling. It only takes one unlocked door or open window. _Well, I’m not going to just sit on the floor and await what’s coming._ He always faces his problems head on. Besides, if he’s going to go out, it’ll be tooth and nail to the end. With one last lingering look towards the source of his unease, he relies on memory and the continuous trail of his hand gracing the foundation of the wall to guide his exit of the parlor in the dark. Extensive trial and error lead him eventually to fumble with the locks of the front entrance. Hesitating in his turn of the doorknob, he prepares to fling into defense at the prospect of an ambush attack.

Despite his theory on the mode of operation, the only thing that strikes him when stepping out of the house is the crisp chill of the night air and fresh smell of nature. His mind refers back to the distressful following of the woman’s eyes on him back inside the building. _Did_ _she follow me here?_ Taking a moment to assess the situation, he ascertains the only movement nearby to be the shifting of the wind. More disturbing is the lack of sound. Not even the spur of a cicada or the thump of a startled rabbit is evident to prelude at least _something_ being comfortable enough to stay in the vicinity. Understanding the absence of noise to be the loudest admonition of all, he decides to locate his assailant. The light of the blazing stars illuminate his surroundings, Eren has no trouble veering to the side of the house where the windowed parlor overlooks.

It's surreal, to see her static by the edge of the forest. _Is this really happening?_

She hasn’t acknowledged his presence, but he isn’t ignorant enough to believe that she doesn’t notice him. Instead, she seems to be ignoring his arrival in crude disdain, giving him the impression that she's impatiently waiting. Even so, it makes it easier to work his way closer to the lady. He examines the intruder’s features as he progresses across the clearing. It's easy enough to discern from a distance the trespasser is short. Blonde hair is pulled back in a bun, the shorter portion of her bangs framing her face to stop a few inches from her jaw. It extenuates the length of her face, and draws out her nose long and hooked. Though it isn't necessarily unsightly. As he draws closer he distinguishes pale, sky blue eyes. Altogether, she'd make for a very pretty specimen if not for the hard glint to her eyes, the strained set of her jaw, and the slight cinching of the eyebrows despite endeavoring to keep a stoic expression. _She appears to be suffering_ , his mind conceptualizes based off her countenance alone. Despite the precarious situation and the radiating emotion of anger from the blonde, he feels a pang of sadness for her. _Is there a way I can help her?_

Having rounded close enough to depict her facial expression, the dame finally shifts to rest her eyes on his approach. The dissecting cold look slices right through him. Stopping in his tracks, Eren's bones feel encumbered under her examination. She turns with an air of dismissal and saunters away, disappearing into the tree line.

 _What the hell?_ Finding himself more capable of movement after the wake of relief from her seizing stare, he stumbles forward a bit before finding the aptitude to fully animate his body. Afraid to loose the mystery woman from his line of sight, he takes off after her at a run.

The light from the night sky dims to a darker plane of visibility as a consequence of the dense canopy he maneuvers under. Frantically willing his eyes to adjust to the darkness, he narrowly dodges bodily impact with a few trees. Blinking and forcing his eyes to concentrate, he rivets his attention to the detection of movement a few feet away. He’s alarmed at her proximity. With the difficulty of reining in the rush of his breath from his brief pursuit, he becomes more aware of the deafening silence of the night.

Breaking eye contact again, the stranger rotates and passes deeper into the woods. _She’s leading me somewhere._ Following at a more controlled pace, he questions why he is obediently trailing anyone in such a peculiar scenario. This time, without the distance to close from the house, he's simply trailing directly behind her. Eren contemplates speaking to her, but the overpowering aura of contempt prevents him from achieving it.

The short blonde walks with such sure steps, bereft of insistence to promptly reach a destination, nor is there a hesitation or tremble to delineate a touch of fear. He dioesn't have much longer to study the manner of the situation as the canopy breaks again to reveal a quaint meadow intervening the forest. Continuing to the epicenter of the clearing, she finally rounds to a halt and addresses his existence.

A current of air obscures the motley assortment of night darkened wildflowers with the force to bend them nearly flush to the ground. The clouds begin to drift in, delivering a stronger scent of rain than what he'd previously detected that morning. It was ambient on the horizon, shading out even more light from the stars, but not close enough to feel the telltale sensation of a light sprinkle.

The diminutive change in atmosphere captures his attention for more of an extended period of time than the predicament calls for. It takes him a painfully long moment to realize the movement of the flowers splaying topside from the wind is ongoing, despite the cessation of the rough breeze. Narrowly focusing on the bending and twisting of the iridescently outlined flora, he identifies what appears to be a black inky mist disturbing the grassland. Startled, he rips his eyes back to the woman precipice of the phenomenon. His fingers start to tingle and go cold, alerting Eren to the telltale signs of panic accompanied by numb limbs. His mind finally makes the connection.

 _She’s creating this darkness._ It's exuding from her and increasing in intensity. He can’t tell if he's dulling his emotions or accepting his fate, but he knows with finality that she's going to kill him as an ineluctable fact. And he can’t fight it. _Not this._

Watching the tendrils of this dark swirling essence edge closer to his body, he makes a bold decision that he won’t be murdered completely passive. Locking eyes with his seemingly uncaring assailant, he steels himself from the unadulterated hatred of which he is reciprocal. “You can drop the act, your face really isn’t all that composed.”

Taunting her isn’t his end goal, but at least it reassures she's listening. In an act of fury, the stranger lifts her arms and sends a dark circling of the nameless material around him, reminiscent of a snake positioning its coil before it tightens to a strangle.

“At first, I wanted to help you.”

She had begun to close her hand into a fist, and with it the darkness started to constrict around him. At his words, she flinches, and the darkness retracts its proximity.

He maintains eye contact in an act of defiant determination against an inextricable force as he speaks his last blow. “But you can read it in your eyes. You don’t want to be saved.”

The intruder's eyes widen and her hands drop to the side with the mist absolving into the night. Ragged breaths accompany a face of disbelief and unmasked surprise. He struck a nerve, but he doesn’t expect it to last. The moment is fleeting, as she swiftly begins to narrow her eyes and gain temperament.

Gone was the impassive and neutral nature of his executioner. In its place is an unhinged madness that combines the frightful emotions of rage and glee. She advances her foot towards Eren in a compulsive snapping motion and with that foot casts a swarm of darkness that surges for him like the unstoppable wave of a tsunami.

 _Close your eyes at least_. Yet, something truly stubborn and ingrained in his being declares it would be giving up. Even defenseless, somehow the idea of shutting out what is to befall seems like he's allowed it. _No, he’ll never stop being resistant. His eyes will stay open to the end._ Not knowing what damage a direct hit from the dark matter will do, he doesn’t know exactly what to expect. Time proceeds to slow to a laboring pace that only the mind perceives when faced with an event of dire threat. He truly does not anticipate to see the briefest flash of gunmetal grey speed in front of him at a blur.

Managing to captivate his gaze for a succinct half second, there is a shifting of hair brushing against his face and the warm pressure of skin on skin for the briefest of moments before Eren is able to process the interruption of the newcomer acting as a bodily shield. When reality catches up, the full force of the otherworldly power smashes into his unknown protector and sends them both sprawling to the ground. The air rushes out of Eren's lungs as he absorbs the brunt of the impact. His defender, having been cushioned slightly from the unrelenting embrace of the earth, lands on top of Eren for a heartbeat of a moment before springing up once again.

Abruptly, the guardian is closing the distance towards the short blonde. Her supernatural haze whips back towards herself in a panicked defense as the individual unsheathes twin swords from a holster attached to his belt. Without a moment of hesitation, his savior brings the weapons down on the blonde with the edges of the blade glinting in the remaining starlight. She immediately pools darkness around the cutting edge, yet it does nothing to prevent the lethal descent. Cutting straight through the mist, she narrowly avoids the tip of the weapon as she jerks herself a hair’s width out of the way.

 _Her ability doesn’t affect inanimate objects?_ Eren ponders over the revelation as they continue to fight. She'd seemed confident enough to use it to kill him only a moment ago, and it had thrown the both of them back. _Maybe it’s limited to people?_

Unrelenting, and not wasting any potential openings, the guardian is upon her again. Eren remains on the ground, struck still and mesmerized by the scene before him. With his attention drawn to the protector and his mind working to analyze the situation, he finds himself mentally taking note of features.

He can discern it's a man by the frame of him, though he's unexpectedly lithe and graceful. The subtle squaring of his shoulders and the slender waist bestow a surprisingly lean and effeminate persona, easily betrayed by the strength in delivery of his blows. Eren has no doubt there's more muscle concealed by the darkness contributing to the harshness of his strikes. The man swings around his sword in a fury of a dance, drawing nearer to the dame each time she attempts to shield herself and retreat. He incessantly maintains a proximity to the woman, enabling Eren to discern the man is comparatively taller, though not by much. Highlighted by the contrast of night, her strands of light hair once contained orderly in a bun now hang in uneven strands. Locks of unkempt bangs jerk rambunctiously around as she harries too many dodges in an attempt to keep pace.

Juxtaposition to the woman, the newcomer's hair blends with the surrounding midnight. As if arriving with a them, his skin harmonizes with the faint glow of the moon. Eren finally shakes himself from his thoughts, realizing his attention has drawn from the fight to the newcomer. As he again centers on the battle before him, he is easily drawn to notice the shimmering white light of the blades and the otherworldly blackness of mist creating a beautifully contrasting, yet deadly encounter. _If the darkness can’t block his sword, then she’d have an advantage in this fight from a distance. He’s purposefully ripping away her composure to prevent her from utilizing the versatility of her darkness._ _She could easily overpower him if she was given a moment to think._

 _But he knows that._ The newcomer is always one move ahead of her. No, one step ahead of her. Literally.

The speed with which he moves is unparalleled by the attacker-turned-defendant. He is inhumanly fast, Eren notes. A concept that would've seemed silly before, but when faced with a foe that conjures dark haze, it becomes the normal of the two.

The assemblage of white and black is interrupted by a splash of red. Corresponding to the disturbance is a pained yell that rips from the woman’s throat as the man catches her shoulder with one blade. Never giving her a moment to recover, his second sword rounds back to deliver a well timed blow to her midsection. The woman instantaneously pools the darkness around herself, blocking her body from view. The weapon cuts straight through the mist.

It’s too clean, lacking any signs of the previous gore displayed from the preceding blow.

Slowly the mist begins to disseminate, and with it the conjurer herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dialogue is so much more cringe worthy in text than in my head. Oh well, it does serve as plot thickening later on.


	3. Unfocused

Eren watches the dark mist begin to fade into the night. The thinning of particles matches the patchwork of the sky as the clouds continue to roll in, now with touches of daunting grey. The gaps exposing portions of a clear atmosphere are highlighted by the silver edges of the clouds, the culprit to the luminescence being the one and only crescent moon. A few prominent stars blaze brightly in these nature framed openings. They serve as just enough to draw the eye in, then the observer lays prey to be consumed by the beauty of the dull glow emitted from dozens of smaller stars. Blazes that only become apparent after focusing hard on looking past the brightest whites, revealing light blues, oranges, and wonderful purples within the fray.

As the last murky haze fades away into the night, so does Eren’s motivation. Being awake now for a full twenty four hours and having walked the majority of that time, the complete exhaustion hits him full force. With the dark conjurer gone and the fatigue setting in, he finds it difficult to keep his head up. The still and stiff shadows no longer captivate him and the marvels of the night do not compete with his physical need to sleep. In the lull of his exhale, Eren unintentionally brings his head down to look at the ground before him. Forgetting himself completely, the wildflowers and inflorescent grasses moving in the wind seize his flickering attention.

He doesn’t care, really, about the wilderness in that current moment. Instead, his mind's subconsciously trying to prevent him from falling asleep. He’s completely forgotten about the situation leading up to his location, or rather, why he's even in the woods during the dead of night to begin with. He later reflected that his body must have had some last standing fight in him, a bit of self preservation to continue to push past physical limitations rather than to give in to lethargy.

Not understanding the resistance to sink into the lush grass and shut out the world around him, he hovers in a hunched position on the ground with his head lowered. It is here that he's met with a blade at the base of his throat. Feeling a gentle shift of wind swirl around his body, he isn’t sure whether it’s the chill of the night air or the ice of steel that makes his skin prickle and hair rise. Eren's tired imagination almost connects the sudden upward shift of air as a persuasion to look up at his aggressor. Reality leads him to a different disposition, as the blade at his throat is roughly shoved skyward in an impatient gesture to truly induce active perception.

Eren's eyes meet a sincerely unusual shade of grey. Almost blue, yet too silver to pass as such. The peculiar color is highlighted by the contrasting black of the man's long eyelashes and dark circles around the eyes. Finding it too much under the stranger’s critically untrustworthy glare, he glances at the now visible features of his protector turned aggressor. _He’s too pretty to be human._ Feeling a bit dumbfound by his thoughts, Eren chalks it up to be the bone sinking enervation contributing to his loopy attitude. _Really, he could easily be mistaken as an elf. If they were real._ His facial features are masculine, but smooth and dainty at the same time. The man looks like something that would only exist in a movie, except there are small imperfections to give away the humanity of the stranger.

The dark circles under his eyes, for one. More importantly, the jarring intensity of his stare. The man’s glare is reduced to slits complete with eyebrows angrily creased together. _Yep, pretty sure elves can’t glare like a damn criminal._ The blade reminds him of its current position as the stranger presses further against his throat. Eren feels the slightest of stings and the light dribbling of warm liquid on his neck. Nothing to worry over, just the barest of scratches. It’s enough to draw him back to the present for him to realize in his tired stupor that the stranger had been talking to him. And Eren had been staring at him completely ignorant.

Yet, even as the man’s eyes become more frosted to seemingly impale him in place, Eren isn’t frightened.

“Who was that woman?” The raven haired man’s voice is unexpectedly deep, and Eren is much too tired to be answering the mystical questions of the universe. Mentally classifying the newcomer in the category of not being an immediate threat, he flutters his eyelids and brings his hand up to rub at the pesky shutters. The blade doesn’t move as Eren's anticipated, but the man visibly stiffens with the motion, obviously prepared to attack if necessary.

Opening his mouth to tell the man absolutely nothing helpful, he tries to stifle a yawn that begins to rise instead and fails miserably. Looking apologetically at the newcomer, he rides out the wave with his hand covering his mouth. But he is so tired, and too drained, and at the end of his yawn Eren is reduced to bringing his hands around himself in a hug and hanging his head once again.

The stranger allows it, loosening his grip on the sword so Eren doesn’t accidentally decapitate himself. With the weapon still at his throat, he seems to let the question pass and tries a different route. “Who are you?” The ravenette interrogates.

Eren lets out a choke of a laugh, harsh and too quick to be interpreted as anything but spiteful. He normally isn’t this rude, but it has been one hell of a day. In an attempt to rectify his manners, he draws up what’s left of his reserve of energy to answer "if I knew, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

The grey eyed man doesn’t seem to like that answer. A visual is not needed to tell he's pissed, there's a palpable air of it on its own.

Sighing, as it really isn’t his intention to rile him up, Eren tries again. “I don’t know. I mean, I’m me I guess?” It sounds lame to his own ears, but articulation is a matter of sharpened minds, his brain currently sending him waves of ache in an attempt to receive rest. “ So I know. But I don’t really know.”

To his relief, the man seems to take his answer genuinely. Now is not the time to look a gift horse in the mouth and question it, especially since the ravenette lifts the sword from his neck. Crouching down in front of him with one of his blades acting as a makeshift cane for balance, he draws out his phone. After a few taps he turns the screen to face Eren and shoves it mere centimeters away from his proximity.

“Do you recognize this number?” His voice is impatient and insistent, Eren chalks it up to mannerisms on edge. Squinting at the blinding flash of light given off by the screen, he takes a moment to process the message as his head pounds in protest. _Fuck the phone screen really is bright._

“Are those… coordinates?” He asks in confusion, trying to process the random display of numbers in the form of a text message.

“Yes. It led me here.” He’s short and to the point. “Do you know the number?” The stranger repeats.

“No.” He doesn’t have a clue who could be texting his location. “Sorry,” he tacks on after a pause, because he _is_ sorry. _Why is everything suddenly so complicated?_

“Hm.” The stranger mulls over the implications of his answer. Shifting back on one foot he diligently searches Eren’s expression, the kind of roving gaze that moves from one eye to the next as if to catch deceit. “What’s your magic?” is his next choice of interrogation.

“Magic?” He questions, completely not expecting that as an inquiry in the lineup. He instantly regrets it, remembering how the descriptors of terse and ill-tempered are the epitome of the man’s demeanor.

The stranger rolls his eyes to display his annoyance. "Did you get hit in the head before I got here? I’m not going to sound it out.” He clicks his tongue at the end like a disappointed parent scolding a child.

Recognizing that explanations don’t seem like a thing the man's willing to give, Eren decides to role with it. He's well versed with reading people, and his current company is more than a little irritated. For all the help this man had given him in defense against the complicated confusion of an encounter, he is quickly reaching the end of his rope. “I guess it makes sense, seeing as that women was the walking definition of voodoo.” He doesn’t have much energy in the way of reserves to argue against the existence anyway. “But I don’t have magic,” he admonishes in a resolute tone.

The man raises one eyebrow to convey the detection of bullshit. “People who aren’t magic don’t accept the concept so readily.”

Which is actually a pretty valid point. This causes him to pause for a moment, but the solution comes readily enough. “My dad was magic, I think. Or at least, had some sort of tie to it.” Fuck if he remembers. He’s not even sure why it comes to mind now, but somehow the concept feels right.

The stranger remains quiet, still at eye level to properly observe him. He’s under the impression the man is expecting more of an explanation. Unfortunately, Eren does not have any answers. “You have some sort of wind magic then?” He offers instead.

This gets a reaction out of the man. His eyes rivet to attention too quickly, not that there is any other tell-tale sign of a response. The stranger has a poker face made of stone when he isn’t irritated or intimidating. He currently watches Eren attentively with a slight cock of his head as if trying to get a read on him.

“You move inhumanly fast,” he begins to justify. “Plus, there always seems to be some sort of abrupt breeze around you.” Now that he's saying it, he realizes it had been the man using his wind magic earlier to try and get Eren to look up without first relying on his sword. Perhaps he was more considerate than he let on. _What a gentleman._

Again the stranger opts for silence, not giving an explanation or even an affirmation. However, Eren can’t ignore the lack of a blatant denial and takes it as truth. Settling back into a quiet convergence, he doesn’t have the energy to deal with upholding a one sided conversation any longer. The slight rush of adrenaline from the confrontation with the blonde woman has dissipated, leaving behind utter exhaustion. Softly threading his hands through the grass on the ground beneath him, he decides the material feels comfortable enough. Curling in on himself, he lays down on one side and closes his eyes.

“Tsk. Kid.” The man’s voice is deep and gruff, with a key of exasperation. When it becomes clear he isn’t going to answer he tacks on “get up.” 

Eren ignores the stranger and focuses on the pull to sleep. There's a rough prodding at his side, assumingly from the mans foot in an attempt to urge him up. He doesn’t respond, his body really doesn't want to allow him to. He continues to listen to it, Just as he’d been doing when his restlessness became unbearable and led him here.

“Shit.” There’s the sound of a thump next to him and the gentlest push of hair out of his face.

This surprises Eren, the delicate feeling of the stranger’s hands brushing against his skin despite his abrasiveness demeanor. Abruptly, he opens his eyes. The stranger’s face is carefully blank of emotion and Eren finds it difficult to interpret. He searches the grey eyes for the tiniest of hints, but his unknown companion is too much of a challenge.

Only after having put up with Eren’s quizzical search and ascertaining he truly contains his attention, the grey eyed man speaks up. “Are you hurt?”

 _Hm. So much of a guardian. Guess we missed that crucial first step, huh?_ Eren slowly closes his eyes and gives the barest shake of his head. “Nnn. So tired,” comes the scarcely audible mumble. The soft sway of the long grass lightly hitting his skin and the return of the sound of lulling cicadas finally convinces Eren to drift into sleep.

~~

The coordinates weigh on his mind as he sits beside the unconscious kid. The return of sound from the distant wildlife a clear signal to Levi that they're out of danger, for the moment. Obviously not getting _fucking anywhere_ with answers while the brunette is noncomprehending, he decides to let the kid nap for a moment while he works the events over in his mind.

It was his work phone. Nobody has access to his work phone except the Commander and that crazy ass researcher. The number is classified and only used in emergencies. That was exactly why Levi had rushed into this fuckery of a situation without additional information. Well, not completely. Systems can be hacked, traitors can gain information, and there are more than a handful of enemies that wouldn’t hesitate to set up a trap. There was more to it than the urgency of a cryptic message on an emergency line. Levi ordinarily would have never responded to it without getting his team to trace the sender first. _Something was off._ Something had felt off moments before the text was received. He distinctly remembered the gut dropping feeling in his abdomen before the chime of the ringtone. Which only worsened as Levi’s intuition had proven to be related to an urgent situation. He really hadn’t thought too much into the location drop at all, just trusted that he needed to be there.

The passage of clouds currently picks up in pace while his mind plays inner therapist with himself, the direction of the breeze notably changing. A powerful lone gust pummels across the meadow in curling circles of a break-neck pace. Levi follows its path to observe a slight twist in the angles of trajectory, giving himself a meandering warning as to its destination. He effortlessly latches onto the anomaly with his magic, slowing the wave of wind to dissipate at a gentle pulse in time for when it hits the sleeping kid. Repressing a shudder at the intimate contact of his magic caressing another's physique, his attention is forcefully drawn back to the brunette.

 _He’s warm. A little too warm._ Concerned with the information gleaned from the elemental magic, Levi backtracks and swarms the kid with his wind. Gently prodding along his body, he can easily detect the boy hadn’t lied when he denied being hurt. Still puzzled by the unusual amount of heat thrown off by a single person, Levi contemplates the possibility of a sickness.

 _Guess I should stop the rain_. After the off jet of wind had attempted to wreck havoc on the valley, Levi could sense the distant charge of electricity and excess humidity associated with a storm. _Not that I can see a damn thing_ , he thinks while glaring at the recent blackout of the sky. Dark storm clouds conceal the night stars, and as a consequence, the soft guiding light. Moving his magic from the kid to the environment proves difficult. His power is resistant and uncooperative, facing a major shock of deep cold once all traces of his wind are no longer in contact.

 _What the hell?_ Subconsciously blocking the storm with the use of his wind to keep it at bay, his focus never leaves the sleeping person.

The boy had been too soft. His eyes had portrayed an utter determination, yet he did nothing to stop the attack from the dark mage. When Levi had put his sword up to his throat, the kid had spoken yet again with the emerald pools. It was like he could read his intentions, and though he hadn’t been much help in answering his questions, there was the constant genuine demeanor portrayed through his eyes.

Watching as the kids’ soft exhales lightly sways the long grass in front of his face, Levi contemplates the possibility of the him not wielding magic. _Fucking bullshit. You don’t gain the attention of a dark mage by innocently frolicking around in the woods at night._ He’s missing something about this situation. He didn’t think the kid was lying. Far from it actually, he had been an open fucking book. The coordinates again surface to the forefront of his mind, as he wonders who the hell sleeping beauty could be. In actuality, the likelihood of a leak or an enemy getting his number is extremely low. Someone who has high enough credentials to access his phone number is more believable. They'd sent him to defend this kid. Who is apparently not magic, doesn’t know a thing about himself, and happens to be hanging out in the middle of nowhere. _Why the hell is he in the middle of the woods?_ It’s time for more answers and less questions. He rights to a standing position and not so nicely sticks his foot in the brat’s ribcage.

Groaning and flipping from his side to land on his back, the brunette opens his eyes to glare at him. Levi lends his hand out, which hovers untaken in the air for a few seconds as the kid attempts to be intimidating.

“Get the fuck up. Nap time’s over.” Levi adds some extra encouragement.

Recognizing a peace treaty when he sees it, the kid snatches his hand and lets Levi haul him up. Once standing, the brunette doesn’t step back, but nonchalantly awaits direction. Narrowing his eyes, Levi takes in the slight squaring of the boy’s hips and the barest set of his jaw. More importantly, are the fucking vibrant green eyes. Not only are they entirely too distracting to begin with, but this open faced book of a person is currently baring the expression of a slight challenge.

Levi hides the beginnings of a smirk, completely intrigued by the brat’s personality. “Why are you here?” He digs right into it.

“Why are you here?” is thrown back in face.

 _Great, I'm dealing with a fucking child._ “I’ve already stated my motive, fuck face.” He taps his phone currently residing in his pocket as a reminder.

The brunette shrugs in an apparent nonchalant acceptance to the answer. “I live here,” he divulges.

Now this, Levi is not prepared for. Last he knew of, they're currently in a dense patch of woods that stretched for miles. Looking around at their surroundings with the confirmation of rural solitude, he states “so you’re homeless.”

The brat’s face follows a succession of emotions, from confusion, to surprise, to the take of offense. All of which is utterly hilarious to Levi.

“What? No. I’m not a hobo.” He shakes his head vigorously to reinforce the sentiment.

Levi lifts an eyebrow, half to prompt more information, half to get a rise out of the kid. _Why is this suddenly becoming amusing?_ The brunette leaps to the bait and begins to open his mouth to retort when he suddenly stops, apparently thinking better about falling for it. His face becomes more analytical as he takes a moment to think things over. _Hm, interesting._

“How did you get here?” The brunette requests.

 _Why the fuck is this kid asking more questions than answering? Stupid fucking questions at that._ “I drove,” he deadpans. Guessing by the look on the brat’s face he isn’t at all satisfied with the answer. Finding it too easy to mess with the brunette, Levi interrupts the start of his next question. “Are you old enough to drive?”

Instead of taking offense, the kid smirks. Bites down on his lip as he holds in a laugh and looks away. His smile is quick to fade as he takes in the surroundings. Tilting his head towards the sky, he notices the lack of celestial lighting in the atmosphere. He scans the tree-line in a quick circle, stopping when he faces Levi again. Locking eyes, the brat seems to consider Levi for a moment before turning around and walking away. “Com’on,” he instructs without looking back.

_Alright, I’m beyond intrigued. What the fuck goes through this kid’s mind?_

Turning at the tree-line to see that Levi had not made a single step in his direction, the brunette opts for an explanation. “It’s dangerous to stay here, yeah?” While waving his hand dismissively at their surroundings to indicate out in the open.

“So this equates to myself following you?” Levi knows he’s an ass.

“My house is closer than wherever the hell you ended up leaving your car.” Sensible, seeing as Levi had gotten as close as he could on the highway to the random coordinates in the woods before booking it on foot. Of course, he had a little help with the boost of his wind magic. Following behind the mystery kid, he contemplates his admonition of living here in a house. _There must be an access road that isn’t on the maps. After all, you can’t build a house in the woods without having a way to get to it._

“So you _are_ old enough to drive?” He shoots in his direction as he walks alongside him.

Turning to pin Levi an annoyed look, the kid roles his eyes before responding. “Yes, not that it matters. I walked.”

“Walked from fucking where? In case you haven’t noticed, we’re isolated kid.”

The question isn’t acknowledged, and Levi doesn’t press because they come to another break from the trees. An extensive parcel of open land differing immensely in size from the previous meadow does nothing but add to the confusion and enigma of their situation. The reason primarily being the enormous Gothic style mansion sitting pretty in the center. “Oi.” His voice is gentle and his gut is again thrown into a twist as he gets the feeling that something is completely wrong.

“Eren.” The brunette offers.

Levi raises an eyebrow. Stupid emerald eyes just stares back at him, requesting that Levi use actual words. “Okay, _Eren_ … last name?”

“Jaegar,” he admits airily and without hesitance.

Levi flinches, the uneasy feeling in his abdomen wrenching with recognition. _He had said he thought his dad had ties to magic. I never would have guessed it was this serious._ Eren is standing there with this quizzically innocent face, his head slightly cocked to the side like a puppy. Silently asking him what’s wrong in body language but too polite to call him out verbally if he does not wish to share.

_And this kid is related to that fucking monster._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bum bum bummm. Cliffhanger. Things will start to clear up a little more as I turn over chapters.
> 
> I like friendly banter between Levi and Eren, levels the playing field to make Humanity's Strongest seem more approachable :) They'll fight a lot in this fic cause Eren's a smart ass.


	4. Daydreams

Plush black leather. Peculiar little triangle shapes visible where the sun reflects the depth of material. The sun. Yes, it is coruscated, his eyes are squinted from its harshness. He closes them again to repair the damage. Once efficiently braced to combat the egregious white light again, he dares to crack a minor peak. _What are those shapes from? Oh right, the lounge. Gaudy fucking lounge. Chesterfield, right?_ At least that’s what he thinks the style is named.

His eyes trail down the deep rivets of the cushions as they fork into a spiral to create a seamless arm rest. The tacky bow of the backing gently spills over in a waterfall edge, the legs of his current amenity are standoffish, carved in the random design of baroque and painted a metallic bronze. Studded metal lines the contours and edges of the piece of furniture, acting as a high beam where it meets flares from the sun.

Trills and whistles disrupt his examination as they fill the unobservant daze created by sleep. _Chirping._ It may have taken him longer than he’d like to admit to process the sound. Rearing to attention from his morning trance, Eren begins to panic at the sight of the unusual couch. Attempting to gain his bearings, he hastily scans about the room.

He's startled to determine he's resting on the same piece of furniture he'd been scrutinizing directly across from his position. The cough is the size of three pieces put together, bending perfectly in the middle with one of the elongated sides ending slightly truncate of the other. It's like a traditional L-shaped couch on crack. Central of the snug manufacturing is a comparatively simple table. An emboldened sleek black granite inlay bordered with a dark wooden frame that's been carved into ripples, the height of the top perfectly aligned as a convenient end table.

Standing, his feet unexpectedly sink into soft ground. An area rug made of luxurious fabric encompasses the vicinity. The mostly beige floor covering is designed with complex botanical leaves and flowers made of blacks, pinks, and light blues. Intricate vines connect the plant artistry into a central geographic diamond. Gazing about the room, he quickly establishes where the source of light derives. The partition of windows. _Right._

Lurid images in the flashes of memories from the previous night’s events strike Eren all at once. He takes in the serene open meadow that encapsulates the side yard of the house. Butterflies flutter from one open pollen source to the other, peacefully going about their day as if ignorant of the troubles that had occurred just before. _That really did happen, right?_ Birds flit from the canopy, swooping into larger openings and adding dashes of bright coloration to the green foliage. The trees themselves appear less looming and intimidating, the dark depths of the forest beyond somehow brighter and unassuming. He recalls the light grey eyes that met him in the mist of blackness. The man had seemed so unreal, his features hard to imagine in the everyday life. _Did I get rescued by a forest faerie?_ Somehow, that sounded more rational than believing the prospects of a human executing near perfect combat maneuvers.

Drawing back to the assemblage he currently inhabits, he scans for signs of another. Roaming over the layout of the parlor, Eren ponders how he didn't immediately recognize his whereabouts. _We never used this room, did we?_ It was just an ornate display of money that only contributed to the emptiness of inactive space.

He lightly pads out into the foyer. The dark hardwood floors open to a large empty area, only serving as a paradox of choice.

When one enters the foyer and they veer to the hall’s opening on the left, they come to the parlor room as Eren had just derived. Directly opposite on the right, ushers the kitchen. If one chooses to take neither path and heads straight, they are first affronted by a staircase. Grey marble steps delicately curve to meet the ground in an artful manner, working to entice the visitor upstairs. The black railing designed with Gothic arches encourage the indecisive traveler with a sturdy counter-fall. Yet, if one decided to snub their nose at the offering and continue past, three sets of modern arched windows create a sneak peak at the outdoor lanai. The area outside is paved with river stone, barren of furniture or garden plots. _Another area that was never lived in._ Its purpose was served again for the view of grandeur, as it's shaded with a trellis colonized by hanging wisteria. When in full bloom, the purple flowers dangle like an explosion of shimmering pendants from a branch.

Ignoring the staircase to the upper layer, Eren considers the kitchen as being the most likely destination to find the man from the night before. Entering the area aforementioned, he’s disappointed to find the room as destitute as the rest of the house. However, it doesn't give off the similar sad and foreign vibes as with the rest of the territory. The kitchen appears endearing, resurfacing memories from his childhood. His mother and him had spent a lot of time here. It was almost like he could remember the curve of her smile and the crinkles at the corner of her eyes as she and him talked over her famous hot cocoa. The rest of her face alluded him. He could never remember her face.

There are pictures of her. Many tucked away in this house. One photograph in particular Eren kept with him at home. Well, his real home. Living with Mikasa and Armin in an actual town rather than a remotely isolated mansion. This photo was of his mother when she was younger, long before she had met his father. Eren cherished the image.

He didn’t have the courage to look at it though. He kept it stored away and safe, but the prospect of observing the picture to recall his mother’s profile is halted by another instinctual feeling. This one he knows is more of a cowardice, as somehow the image of his mother’s face is tied to a memory he doesn’t wish to call back. He might be seeking answers at this house for a recollection with troubling potential, but he refuses to trigger anything traumatic that might change how he views his mother for good.

Many people who suffer the loss of a loved one say the image of them on their deathbed will never leave their head, even while thinking of good experiences when everyone was happy and healthy. _At one point in time I was like that. I don’t know how I forgot, but now I don’t want to remember. I can finally remember her for herself._

Well, mostly. He can remember the good times, and the laughs, and the talks, and all the content with localities. Just never her face.

Gazing about the kitchen, his older self can easily pick out the opulent design that his child self had ignored for the functionality. The first thing the eye catches is the giant expanse of the area, because the ability to purchase and flaunt empty space is the epitome of wealth. Second, is the elephantine island that looks more like it belongs in a restaurant bar than a house. Walking over and pulling out a chair, Eren scrutinizes the layout. The walls are lined floor to ceiling with cabinetry embroidered with crown molding. Some of the cabinets are a light wooden tan, while others are window fronted. The island is marble, continuing the theme of tans with swirls of blues and pinks, obnoxious silver molding protruding down the sides. The dark hardwood floor offers a decent contrast and matches the dozens of chairs around the island.

The one wall that is not covered with cabinetry is again fronted with windows. There is a bench attached to the wall under the glass, draped in cushions and tacky pillows to offer a den for admiration of the front yard. Sitting here and looking out the window, Eren can see the gravel path surrounded by trees in which he'd first walked upon his arrival.

He thinks back to the nagging, itching feeling insisting that he had to get moving. Something in himself was willing to come here to the point where it became unbearable. _And why?_ Last night's events had proved there was more going on in Eren’s life than even he was aware. There were things that had been forgotten. Irritatingly enough, these subjects did not resurface immediately after the jarring experience. He did not have the slightest of clues who the woman was that attacked him. He hadn’t even known magic existed. Yet, another gut feeling had accepted its validity. There isn’t much that is familiar about his father, but somehow in that moment he'd known that magic wasn’t so foreign because of him. More unanswered questions.

At this point, with the stillness outside the house and the lack of presence of the unknown man from the night before, Eren wonders if the past occurrence was real or imaginary. The latter idea doesn’t sit right with him. After they had reached the house, his exhaustion led him to dozing off soon after entering the parlor. He'd assumed the man would do the same, but now he isn’t so sure. The ravenette had mentioned he drove, perhaps he left to locate his vehicle.

Understandably, the stranger had no obligation to stick around. It seemed silly for him to up and leave without getting his questions answered either. _Guess I didn’t really help matters, I wasn’t entirely cooperative._

He wonders if there was something he could have done differently to make the stranger stay. At least just to thank him for saving his life. But of course, there are many questions Eren wished he could have asked as well. He tries to distract himself from the feeling of sadness at the idea that he may not see the guardian again. If Eren couldn’t tell him who had sent those coordinates then the newcomer could very well find out himself. Eren wasn’t entirely needed.

His thought process begins to reignite antsy feelings, in which he's tired of sitting still and reflecting on what he can’t change. He makes his mind up and decides to go for a walk. To make his head stop wandering, he himself has to wander as a cure. He's long since discovered this method of treatment. Besides, he doesn’t know what else to do.

Once in motion, he marvels at the texture and feel to the mossy covering just before the gravel path that serves as the only access road to the property. There's an element of wet suction as the moss gives way under the pressure of his feet, but relents to return as easily without a fight. The slight tension derived from the water pooling through the plant’s absorptive properties creates a sloshing sound. Following the path without a destination in mind, his attention is held by the substance of the road. The gravel overturns easily through the dirt-turned-muck, a consequence of what Eren assumed was rain throughout the night. It must have finally broke into a shower when he was unconscious.

Further confirming his train of thought, the leaves still hold onto the lighter drops of water that gravity had yet to pummel to the ground with the laws of physics. The capricious rattling of the trees from an expiration of wind would cause a brief sprinkling of the drops to shimmer in the canopy. Occasionally, the air current would be just strong enough to douse Eren with a scattered bout of cold beads. Serenely engrossed in the water logged wonderland, he veers his path to whatever natural phenomenon dares to catch his attention. Drifting subconsciously around his property, he is not aware of when he steps away from the main gravel path. In fact, he is not at all aware at how long nor how far he's drifted into the large wooded area that contributes so to his isolation.

When he steps out of the woods, he becomes instantly alert of his surroundings. Eren takes in the evidence within the clearing before him of the night's events that lie in broken branches and trampled flowers. _How did I find myself back here?_

Hesitant at first, Eren continues to walk along the tree-line. He scans the open parcel for signs of movement or threat. He also feels a bit silly from the paranoia, as it seems the only stakeholder from the previous fight to be holding on is him. The woman had ran- well, teleported. The man may have seen Eren back safely to his house, but he'd left at some point after. _Why am I here? Why did my mind make me wander back?_

Summoning up courage to inspect the grounds, Eren takes a few tentative steps into the meadow. Unprotected without the blocking of towering trees and dim vision from the intense canopy lead him to notice the redundancy in discretion. Yet, he superstitiously enjoys the feeling of the sun on his face, so he blatantly walks out into the meadow despite his hesitency. He thinks back over to why the woman had been at the house to begin with, how she had known him, and why she had planned to attack him. Moreover, how his thought process comes up with nothing but dead ends.

Sitting in the center of the circular clearing, Eren is pleased that the direct exposure to sunlight dried the grasses and flowers around him. Closing his eyes and lifting his head back for full reception of the delightful rays, he quietly enjoys the feeling of being outdoors.

Letting his mind wander like this for some time, he is ultimately pulled back into reality by the stiffness of his legs and the aching of his shoulders. He'd arrested in one position for too long and now has to pay the price of inconvenient discomfort. Sighing, he slowly elongates his posture in a lazy stretch. As his body lengthens and realigns, he takes a shift in his neck by working out a kink to the left. The unusual position offers Eren an upside-down view of the meadow, contributing to a closer scrutiny of the ground rather than the area as a whole. Savoring the difference in perspective and finding it difficult to resist evening out the other side, Eren relents to an opposite side stretch. Observing the polarized side of the meadow at the funky angle, Eren notices a patch of grass that's been obscured.

Standing and inspecting the sight, it's easily recognizable as skid marks from the battle. There is a two-foot long gash in the soil, most likely from one of the stranger’s dual swords. Perpendicular to this slash, is a gorging of the vegetation where someone’s foot had caught and uprooted the plants from the sword’s disturbance. _Holy shit. Did he purposefully try to trip her?_

He marvels at the level of experience and skill the guardian must have in order to articulate such battle strategies in the midst of a fight. He lets out an excited breath of exhilaration at having found something for his mind to work over, given the lack of direction to go from his current predicament. _To stay that cool and collected while working with such a high disadvantage…_

Eren's impressed. _If that had been purposeful, rather than a happy accident._ While he turns over the chances of intention versus happenstance in a struggle, his eyes drive back and forth over the disturbance in the dirt until his thought process wedges on a single point.

It had rained last night.

More specifically, after the occurrence of the fight. If the soil was exposed during the fight, then the force of the rain and pooling of water would have smoothed over the dirt and created a seamless surface of mud.

Eren is looking at a perfectly outlined footprint. A small footprint, one that could easily befit the size and stature of the woman that had attacked him the night before. Except, the footprint could not have been left from the night before. It would not have withstood the rains. 

~~

Hovering just before the double doors to his house, Eren ponders just who the builders had wished to accommodate with the design. The thing easily spanned three people across with four people tall. _Did my dad expect to open the house to giants? This is excessive._ The old dark wood is carved into intricate designs that screamed ancient. Arching around the opening are glass fixtures and whimsical metal designs. _Dusty old shit with a touch of modern. Do all rich people follow this theme?_

He wouldn’t know. He never had anything to do with his father’s business. In fact, he opted to stay far from it. He couldn’t stand the people with which his father had dealings. They all gave him really bad vibes. With a decent cup of hot cocoa in mind, Eren enters the foyer and turns to the right, making his way to the kitchen.

He is stopped in his tracks by the sixth sense of being watched. Abruptly pivoting to locate the source, Eren amends his feeling. _Well, scrutinized, more like._

The raven haired man is sitting in the parlor, occupying the end of the lounge opposite of Eren to offer himself a full view of whomever passes through the doorway. His legs are crossed and his arms are folded across his chest. Most glaringly obvious (pun intended) is the intense stare Eren’s currently receptive of.

Walking towards the entrance of the lounge but never quite stepping out of the foyer, Eren leans against the doorway and can’t help but smile. “Why do I get the ‘reckless child who stayed out past curfew’ glare in my own house?”

The man’s eyes narrow marginally, but his staring contest is interrupted when a loud chiming noise gains his attention. Looking down, the porcelain skinned man receptively taps on the laptop sitting on the black corner table in front of him. Eren’s table.

“Make yourself at home...” but the quip falls short and the end of the sentence trails off in confusion as he comes to a realization. “You can access internet out here?”

Pausing for a moment in his typing, the man looks up at Eren in bafflement for an instant before going back to whatever he was doing. After finishing his duty, he closes the laptop and leans back against the lounge, giving Eren his full attention. So Eren does the same. He shifts his feet to cross over each other, boxes his arms similar to the newcomer, and leans back against the door frame. He offers the stranger a polite smile, but makes sure to communicate with his eyes that he’s willing to be as stubborn as needed.

And so he is. Forget the past recollection of simply wishing to see the guardian one last time to thank him. Oh no. This guy's getting on his nerves. Here he is having a silent staring contest with a random stranger who saved his life.

The laptop ‘tings’ again in its closed position and the man seems to think better of continuing the staring match. He shifts his arm across the back of the lounge and gazes out the wall of windows. There is not a single acknowledgement his way, nor any attempt at conversation. _Wow. This is. This is something._

As Eren debates ghosting the newcomer and leaving for the kitchen to make that cup of hot cocoa anyway, the man lets out a deep sigh and creases his eyebrows in thought. Locking eyes with Eren, he sees that the guardian appears more contemplative than outright ignorant, and perhaps it's his hard to read expression that led Eren to take offense. _Still, he hasn’t said a word to me. I can’t have over-reacted too much._

Running a hand through his midnight colored hair, Eren can make out that the long locks bordering his face cover an under layer buzzed short.

“How long have you lived here?”

He’s thrown off once again by the deep vibrato to his voice, but not enough to keep the sarcasm out of his answer. “I think I can name off, like, ten questions that would have been more important to ask before that. Tell me you didn’t just play the silent staring contest for a solid moment to come up with it.”

The stranger’s face stays the same, but his eyes flash differently at Eren’s response. _Flash to what?_ Eren doesn’t know. He’s more than a little frustrated that he can’t read him.

“I need more situational awareness to better assess,” he lifts his hands with finger quotations “ten questions that would have been more important.” _Ouch. Okay, professional yet sassy. Got it._ The stranger surprises Eren by continuing to speak, as this is the most he’s seemed to illicit upon meeting him. “More specifically, I need to know why the fuck I had to save Rapunzel in her god damn castle from the big bad dragon.” _Ah. And angry. I forgot about that._

“Did you just relate me to a Disney princess?” He asks bewildered.

“I didn’t see you defending yourself out there. Technically, that makes you a damsel in distress.” It rolls coolly off his tongue, devoid of any particular emotion.

“I see your point, and I raise it. What story do you know of where the damsel is saved by a wind faerie?” He smirks as he applies the odd analogy he’d conjured when thinking of the man earlier.

This surprises the porcelain man, his eyes widen ever so slightly and there is the barest upturning of his lips that might be the closest to the stoic stranger’s version of a smile. Pleased that the guardian offers good humor rather than taking offense, Eren decides to stop his stubborn attitude and throw him a bone. “I’ve owned the home for more than a few years now. I acquired it through family.” He pauses in quick contemplation, but decides better of withholding the information. “Lived in? This is the first that I’ve been here in over 14 years.”

“That’s really astonishing.” The stranger admits, without the pitch or countenance to comply with the sentiment.

“How’s that?” Eren questions.

“It implies you’re older than fourteen.” Again with the somber face and effortless delivery.

 _Okay. This man is really hard to cooperate with._ But it is taking the edge off the severity of the situation. Which, unfortunately draws Eren back to the adventures of his morning. Uncrossing his legs and launching off the door frame, Eren makes his way over to the lounge. He takes a seat across from the guardian and searches the granite table for answers on how to proceed. Midnight faerie remains quiet on his end, seemingly letting Eren gather his thoughts.

He doesn’t appear capable of scaling back his intense stare. Eren notices the dark circles around his eyes from the night before have worsened. He wonders if he’s a bit of an insomniac, perhaps that’s why he couldn’t locate him in the morning.

“This house isn’t very familiar to me,” he begins to explain. “I grew up here to a certain age. I always chalked it up to being too young to remember much.” There’s another ‘ting’ of the laptop after Eren’s sentence, in which the man promptly seizes the computer. He tucks it away in a bag laying at his feet as if putting the object in time-out for interrupting.

“Ignore it.” Seeing the hesitance in Eren to pick up from the disruption, the stranger urges gentler now; “go on, you’ve got my attention.”

“Right. Well.” His eyes drift over at the floor to ceiling windows and he mentally envisions the clearing just beyond it. He swallows thickly and looks at his hands, bracing himself to finally admit out loud what’s been nagging at him.

“I can find my way around the woods like it’s second nature. I know where I’m going, but I don’t have a single memory in association that would justify knowing.” The porcelain man shifts in his seat, his attention riveted on Eren.

So he admonishes what has truthfully been the rise of all his issues. “I know deep down that for some important reason I need to be here. I’m looking for answers just as you are.”


	5. Battlefield

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'll try to post weekly from here on in. Song in the story is Battlefield by SRVCINA, check out the link if you want to know how it sounds before it comes up. 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZrddJPGp1I

“You up and walked off to an abandoned mansion outside city limits. On foot.” The dull ache of Levi's arm from stiffness stiffness sends a signal to shift his posture. Upon doing so, the inelasticity of the movement alerts himself to the time lapse he'd remained stasis during their conversation. He withdraws his arm from the back of the sofa and instead rests both his elbows on his thighs. Placing his chin in one hand, his attention never leaves ocean eyes across from him.

The brunette gives him a quiet nod, knowing well enough that his actions were downright retarded and not wishing to voice it.

“Then, in less than a few hours of arriving, you get attacked by a woman you’ve never seen before. ” Levi continues to sum up the clipped explanation of happenings.

“Pretty much, yes.” The brat states nonchalantly.

“Then why did I intercept the two of you in the woods and not in the house?”

“Oh. I uh… followed her.” The boy winces a bit as he hesitantly gives out the information, knowing damn well, _again_ , that he was being a complete half-wit.

Levi sucks in a breath, thrown off by the utter stupidity. Taking a moment, he uses the free hand not supporting his chin to cover his face in absolute fucking amazement. There is only a certain degree of idiocy he can take. “Where are your parents? Who gave you permission to go unsupervised?” The latter questionnaire is delivered uncharacteristically mumbled, as Levi is finding it difficult to transfer his hand from the partial covering of his face.

“Alright, think of it this way.” Eren’s eyes are overly enthusiastic, as if he’s somehow thought of an ingenious way around the current denigration of his person. “You’re in a video game-”

“Jesus Christ,” Levi cuts off the brat.

“Seriously, just listen.” Eren pleads.

Levi reluctantly- very reluctantly, relocates the hand obstructing his face and provides the kid with an expression that ordinarily skewers lesser adversaries. Still, he remains silent and gives the kid a chance to proceed.

“You’re in a video game, inside an abandoned mansion and an enemy appears at the window. What do you do?” The kid excitedly mimes out the depiction of a window, the vibrancy to the unusual set of green eyes heightened by the hope of being allowed to continue.

“You’re asking me theoretical video game bullshit?” Levi resists the urge to walk away without giving the kid some semblance of a chance to redeem himself.

The brunette cringes and starts anew. “Okay, maybe a bad explanation to start. So you can’t kick her ass because your character doesn’t have magic. Now what do you do?”

It’s astonishing how quickly he can bring his tone back to an enthusiastic fever, though Levi's not impressed with his repurchase for credibility. “I’m about done with this scenario.” 

Vibrant green eyes comically widen in a manner that portrays ‘oh shit’. He leans forward in an endeavor to hold Levi’s attention for a small quantity of seconds while speaking, as if afraid Levi will walk out the door that instant. Somehow, he finds it slightly endearing.

“Option A: call for help,” Eren rashly continues in fear of loosing his audience.

“You’re in the middle of fucking nowhere. Futile.” Levi sighs and leans back against the massive archaic couch he presently occupies. 

The corners of the brat’s lips curve up at his answer, encouraged that he’s holding up the conversation. “Option B: go back to sleep.”

“You’re fucking with me,” he blatantly calls the kid out.

The subtle curvature gets wider, an open smile now. “Option C: barricade.”

Levi closes his eyes for a moment wondering how long he’ll go along with this. Slightly tipping his head to indicate ‘no’, he responds “it wouldn’t have held her off.”

Eren’s grin radiates charisma. “Alright. Then we’re on the same page.”

Directing the brunette a scorching countenance, he nonverbally communicates _no, we are not on the same page._

“Then the only other option left,” Eren continues his scheme after nodding to communicate he’d understood the meaning of his look. “Go outside and confront her.”

Alright, he could see how the kid’s hands were tied a bit in that situation, but he still thinks he’s a fucking idiot. More surprisingly, Levi is dumbfounded with how sedately the kid had decided to face off with someone while devoid of any tricks up his sleeve. “Eren. Did you think about the prospect that you could have died?”

For the first time since the brunette sat down across from him, Eren averts his eyes. The loss of access to the vibrant green color and underlying hues of blue invokes a sentiment of disappointment. Ignoring the annoying feeling that comes with the disruption of access to the emerald pools, Levi rapidly comes to the realization that the kid can actually be challenging to interpret when he didn’t have constant access to his every mood and intention through eye contact. 

As society would like to believe, eyes are the window to the soul. Levi's never looked further into it, he despises nearly all people sufficiently enough to forgo unessential staring. He ordinarily doesn’t waste valuable time with eye contact, unless his goal is to perceive the next attack or if Levi wishes to nonverbally communicate that Darwin’s Theory unsuccessfully applied to an individual. Still, he can’t arrest reasoning a smidgen of the concept application when it comes to Eren. It’s unmistakable the kid's been an open book from the get go. Over the course of the day’s interactions, he leans more toward the sentiment that Eren's highly perceptive of others. _His mental ledger could be inscribed in braille for fucks sake_ _and Eren would still be able to communicate despite the barrier._ Yet, Levi's facing an impediment now. Eren’s posture is cautiously composed, his countenance turned away from Levi and facing the obnoxious windows. Silence fills the space so prominently it becomes loud as he sustains an allusive affectation. A few moments pass without much disruption and Levi refuses to break his attention from the brunette.

The ringing quiet is soon cut by a distant bird playing a chorus of banter outside. The brunette shifts his head in Levi’s direction, eyes remaining downcast. After a handful of trilling repetitions surpass from the avian creature, Eren eventually turns entirely to meet his eyes. What Levi reads from them makes his heart drop in his chest. _He knew. He had accepted it._ If Levi hadn’t been mysteriously involved then nothing would have stopped it.

“Would you like something to drink?” The brunette offers lamely to break the tension.

 _What a cop out._ Levi spares the kid either way, he isn’t experienced enough in portraying the value of one’s life to currently traverse it. “Tea, if you have it.”

With that Eren departs and Levi is left to deliberate how _close_ he was to loosing the brunette last night. A few seconds too late, a moment longer to contemplate the validity of the text… especially now that he’s taken the moment to talk to the shit head. Levi detests falling short to save anyone, but more particularly this brat. He's tolerable. That's as rare as an albino fucking unicorn in his record. Everyone annoyed him, even shitty eyes back at the Archives. The bothersome cheep of the extraneous bird is abruptly submerged by a bittersweet tune. The soft piano melody appears to be erupting from a gleaming light tucked between the couch cushions. Levi glares accusingly at what he deduces is the brat’s phone, mentally persuading it to turn off without expediting physical effort on his part. In the lapse of time where he does not immediately mute the phone, the sound of a woman’s voice swiftly interrupts the instrumental. High and soft, and ultimately annoying to his ears.

 **_**No time for rest** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**No pillow for my head** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**Nowhere to run from this** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**No way to forget** _ **

Dully attending to the lyrics without processing the meaning, he’s irked at the prospect of listening to the brunet’s music until his return. Deciding it's worth the exertion over suffering a headache from teenage pop music, Levi deems it no longer a waste of energy to acquire the phone.

 **_**Around the shadows creep** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**Like friends, they cover me** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**Just wanna lay me down and finally** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**Try to get some sleep** _ **

His hand hesitates in the seize for the phone as the witty phrasing catches up with him. _This is… unexpected, and surprisingly dark._

 **_**We carry on through the storm** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**Tired soldiers in this war** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**Remember what we're fighting for** _ **

Now completely engrossed in the mournful urgency of the song, Levi produces the phone from between the fabric of the cushions to inspect the display.

 **_**Meet me on the battlefield** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**Even on the darkest night** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**I will be your sword and shield, your camouflage** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**And you will be mine** _ **

**_Echoes_** ** _ **and the shots ring out** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**We may be the first to fall** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**Everything can stay the same or we could change it all** _ **

Openly listening to the strange song the brat utilizes for a ringtone, he contemplates the meaning of the lyrics. _Why is this so goddam melancholy and brimming with angst?_ Levi is somewhat inclined with one knee balancing on the couch, just as when he'd initially began to pick up the electronic. Realizing he's yet to straighten, he sits on the sofa and looks at the phone with consideration.

 **_**We're standing face-to-face** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**With our own human race** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**We commit the sins again and our sons and daughters pay** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**Our tainted history, is playing on repeat** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**But we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead** _ **

**_**When I was younger, I was named** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** **_**A generation unafraid** _ ** **_**  
**_ ** _**For heirs to come, be brave** _

******We can change it all**

A light prickling sensation erupts on his arm as his hair stands on end. Not for the first instance since Levi's come into contact with Eren does he consider there's a pertinent motive he was sent to investigate; making a more imperative reason to keep the kid alive. He doesn’t have the faintest clue as to what the importance is, but something significant is in association with the brat.

Mentally conjuring up what little information he’s gleaned from the kid so far, Levi strikes nothing but vacuous walls. _If this isn’t his primary home, then where did he live permanently? Who did he live with?_ He feels a tinge of ire and dread reasoning with the possibility that his housemate could be none other than Grisha Jaegar. On further lamentation, it isn’t the most probable. Eren's relatively docile and good natured, the sort affiliated with the doctor are effortlessly recognizable as scum. _Who did he live with then, his mother?_

Levi hadn’t been cognizant the doctor married, much less could he perceive a woman braving ties to the deplorable man. _Yet, he managed to foster a child. T_ _o what extent was Dr. Grisha involved in raising Eren? Was his wife still in the picture or was Eren forced to survive on his own_? The muted sound of footsteps drawing near alert Levi to the brat's presence.

The brunette appears from the foyer carrying two mugs in hand, standing crosswise from Levi and placing one porcelain dishware in front of him. “Sorry,” Eren begins to verbalize as he retreats from the locality and veers away from him. “Green tea is the only kind I keep in stock.”

Interestingly enough, ocean eyes bypasses the sofa and pads carefully aside of the area rug before taking a seat on the hardwood floor. Rearing an eyebrow at the kid, Levi can’t help but compare him to a cat.

“If you have an alternative preference, I’m afraid I can’t really accommodate you,” the brunette continues his hospitality.

He concisely wonders how the brat acquires food out here and whether he owns a vehicle. He doesn’t get the chance to churn the content over for long before the brunette disrupts his consideration.

“Soo… are you some sort of glorified magic hit man, or…?” The kid lets the sentence trail off, hoping Levi will pick up the conversation without having to offer a counter occupation.

Levi manages to contain the expulsion of his first sip of tea after the brunette casually drops the ridiculous question. _It’s hard to believe he has no idea of magic and the Division. Is he as ignorant to the whole predicament as he says he is?_ Levi really doesn’t want to give away too much information before he acquires which side ocean eyes is playing for. Or, to be more accurate, just how many sides are participating. “I want to be perfectly clear to state that my job is not only legal, but the complete extent of physical altercations is fully sanctioned by the Survey Corps.” Levi is not a hit man. He’s killed many of the wretched lot before and he despises them.

“Survey Corps?” Ocean eyes places the derivative of his nickname on Levi, vibrant green eyes widening slightly out of curiosity.

He scrutinizes the boy’s expression, hunting for any signs of dishonesty. Uncovering none, he marvels at how the brat’s predicament doesn’t add up. There are things he should have a rudimentary knowledge of just from the basis of his kin _._ “Yes, the Survey Corps. A special forces branch of the Division.”

“And the Division is…?” The boy asks above the rim of his mug before taking a sip.

Levi sighs and pinches his nose. He doesn’t want to get into this. His priority is determining a general identity of the fucking kid sitting on the god damn floor before him, not explaining his agency to the brat. “The Division of The Embassy, technically speaking. Most people opt for the shortened title. Think of it as a government for magic wielders.” His vigilant eye on the brunette pinpoints an unanticipated response from the kid, expecting an obnoxious eagerness to divulge more information and a continued enthusiasm for the discovery of the existence of such an entity. Instead, the brat seems immediately distrustful of the concept and just as quickly masks his face back to that indecipherable expression.

“Eren.” Time to move things along. The brunette peeks up at him, tilting his head in a silent inquiry. His visage is carefully devoid of emotion but Levi interprets a hint of fear. “Is anyone aware you’re here?”

An instantaneous reaction to the question breaks Eren’s composure as he jumps up from the ground in a panic. The kid scurries to-and-fro amidst the parlor in a frenzy, frantically scanning about the room.

“Oi brat,” he calls to regain Eren’s attention.

Pivoting with an expression of desperation, the kid freezes when discerning the phone held between Levi’s hands. His eyebrows slowly knit together and the kid begins to eye Levi with a perception of gentle suspicion. Although it is not an entirely distrustful expression, Levi is aware to tread within ocean eye’s level of comfort. _Not that I have anything to prove. It will just make my job a hell of a lot easier._

“Missed phone call while you were making tea.” The brunette lunges towards his phone but lifting a careful hand to conceal the screen halts him in his tracks. The kid’s eyes narrow marginally and the usual rambunctious questions are not voiced as he stands quiescently in place. “You can return the call shortly. But first, I have questions.”

Again Eren remains silent, posture rigid. Levi takes this as an indication to proceed.

“Where do you live?” He starts with the first matter at hand.

“Shiganshina.”

Quite a drive past the city limits of Rose, Shiganshina is a smaller town too distant to be walking on foot from. Hell, Levi's closer to this residence in the woods at the Survey Corps main headquarters than where Eren came from. “Who do you live with?” Levi continues to inquire more information.

“Friends.”

Blunt. He’s aware he’ll have to pry for information with the present attitude he’s facing. “Their names?” Levi dives into the content Eren purposefully opts to leave out.

The brunette blatantly stares back at him in open defiance to answer the interrogation.

“Is 'Kasa' one of them?” So sue him, he read the caller ID from the cell.

Flinching a bit at this, Eren briefly glances at his phone. When the kid’s eyes look back up to meet Levi’s they relay only mistrust and hostility.

 _Must be close then. "_ Does this person have a capable vehicle or knows someone with a reliable means of transportation?”

The brunette’s demeanor shifts to confusion and he cocks his head to the side in contemplation of how to respond to the inquiry.

Levi sighs heavily and assesses the time on Eren’s phone screen, multiple missed call notifications silently screech for attention as he does so. Returning his eyes to the brunette, he's met with a face of steel as a consequence for blatantly utilizing his phone unperturbed. “Look kid, we’re wasting time.”

He tosses the cell to Eren, who effortlessly catches it and guardedly deposits the technology in his lap. The brat remains wearily attuned to Levi rather than riveted to his phone.

“Do you. Or do you not.” Levi slowly punctuates, pausing to make sure ocean eyes is following because he’s clip enough as it is. “Have someone capable of dropping supplies off for you here? Otherwise, its up to my happy ass to see you get back to Shiganshina safely. I’m not going to be your fucking personal taxi if you stay here.”

The brunette’s face again scrunches in puzzlement, rigorously scanning Levi in an attempt to read his intentions. Seemingly convinced that Levi does not mean to deploy harm at the current moment, the brat settles back down on the ground. "Yes," he raises his knees up to his waist and hugs them to himself. “I need to call them. They’re probably freaking out right now,” he passively answers Levi’s question. 

“Understood.” Standing and brushing down the fabric of his pants, Levi collects his laptop. Acquiring the now empty tea mug, he shuffles his way over to the kitchen. It isn’t difficult to find, in fact it's hard to fucking miss the opulent domain.

He hears the gentle padding of footsteps behind him as he makes his way over to the sink. Glancing over his shoulder as he walks, Levi determines the kid is following him like a lost duckling. The brunette’s head focuses down at his phone with his fingers moving across the screen. Texting his friends, he supposes.

As he turns on the tap from the faucet and begins to rinse his cup, Eren startles at the sound. “Hey, stop it. I can do that,” fingers skidding to a halt over the surface of the cell.

“Look at that, a brat who actually does chores.”

The brunette appraises him up and down in irritation and finally settles towards walking to the sink and shutting the water off. At the close proximity, he notices the laptop case Levi contains in one hand. “Are you leaving?” 

“There's a smart one. We both have tasks to get to.” At the quizzical look from ocean eyes Levi elaborates by pointing to the phone in his hands.

“Oh." The urgency from before is devoid and the comprehension falls flat. "So does this mean you’re not coming back?”

The kid looks like a wounded puppy and Levi has to hold back the small quirk of his lips. “Would I be proficient in my occupation if I just left you for the wolves?”

Startling immediately, the brunets jerks away until adopting that frustratingly blank mask. _He’s not telling me something._

Narrowing his eyes at the brat, Levi resolves to acquire resolutions rather than continue to be left in the dark. “I’m going to stir up what information I can.” As he gathers his laptop case and heads for the door, he isn’t surprised to hear the continual padding of footsteps behind him. “Tsk,” he turns to his new shadow and quips “you just keep ignoring your friends I suppose.” The footsteps stop and he catches the mutterings of a quiet curse.

“I’ll be back before dark,” he adds as he takes his leave. The gargantuan doorway makes a thunderous sound when slamming shut, the walk through the mossy front yard hushed in retribution.

Having retrieved his car earlier, he was able to locate the driveway from satellite images. The road isn't listed on any municipal maps but the path is surprisingly accessible from the highway. Now as he drives the long winding dirt road, he comes to the spot where the towering tree line breaks to reveal open rolling meadows and hillsides. The countryside here remains generally yawning, a few scatterings of arboreal patches. _Of course the fucking kid couldn't pick this easily passable environment to live in._ Glancing in his rear view mirror, he eyes the diminutive, claustrophobic gravel path encased with massive trees. It looks entirely uninviting and does its job well to conceal the monolithic house. The extent of the forest around it remains unbeknownst at a glance, though Levi had seen the massive depth of it from the geographical map. He’ll have to remember to inquire how much of the area is deeded to the brunette.

The quiet purr of the engine and the melancholy of scenery leaves nothing to distract Levi from the scores of questions playing through his mind. He needs answers and he knows just who can get them. His boss is a slippery fucker, many times remaining silent in matters that eventually get dumped into Levi’s lap. With the personality of a politician, it wouldn’t surprise him if Erwin isn’t already expecting his visit.


	6. To Whom is in the Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for any obvious grammar mistakes or weird sentences. It's been a hell of a week, but I'm tossing this chapter into AO3 land regardless.

Levi's knuckles rap with quick succession on the heavy office door. The golden plaque ordained on the wood is inscribed "Erwin Smith" with bold, black lettering. He brusquely throws it open without giving adequate pause for an answering, striding across the spacious office while meeting the full reprimanding stare of the blond behemoth. Grabbing the chair opposite of Erwin's desk, he turns it around in a smooth ripping motion to sit more functionally with his legs between the backing.

The taller man ignores him for his paperwork as he steadfastly scribbles on the various pieces of paper laid before his desk. Levi scrutinizes his person as a reprieve from the nagging questions that followed him all the way to the Survey Corps main office. A reprieve from the entire fucking hour it took to arrive. _Why the fuck does the brat live so god damn far from civilization?_

His commander and fellow companion holds the stoic face of a legislator, completely unfazed by Levi’s wrathful glare. The hulking giant portrays the perfect visage of a special forces commander, equal parts imposing musculature and well groomed governor. _Even his fucking eyebrows are a god damn statement piece._ The massive strips of carpet above his eyes are superbly manicured, but abnormal in their box-like shape.

“Levi, are you staring at my eyebrows again?” Erwin has yet to glance away from his paperwork, nor has he stilled his hand from writing.

On days when Levi is expected for a meeting, the man plays the part of immaculate organization by finishing all his tasks and clearing a period of time for undivided attention. _Which is fucking annoying_ , Levi much prefers dropping by unannounced to throw the blonde off guard and escape his careful scheming. The piles of material remind him of the reason his work’s become more independent of the Division. He'd forgotten about the mountain of paperwork. Ignoring the question and taking it as a signal that Erwin is prepared to multitask, Levi begins reporting in. “The last five cases from this week are a wrap. Three dead, two in jail, only minor injuries to a handful of casualties.” Of course, his message is ineffectual, he had already written the statements. The rest of the report remained to be completed by Erwin.

The blonde knows this well enough and is also familiar with Levi far too well to fall for the simple irritation. Instead of getting a rise out of Erwin, who is currently sitting up to his balls in reports, the fucking politician waves it off. “I’ve read the briefing. Could you at least attempt to scale down your use of excessive force?”

Disregarding the hulking blonde’s reprimands, he continues to openly pester him with useless information. “I’ve pinned the location of the felon assigned this morning and sent the case file to Brzendska.” 

_There it is._ A twitch of the eyebrow. Erwin may have mastered the trick of abiding a passive face, but the caterpillars stuck to his countenance never lie.

“You pawned the case off to Rico? Why?” His voice is slightly incredulous in his questioning.

“I have better things to do with my time.” Levi's hoping for a reaction then, but he should have known better when dealing with Erwin.

The blonde just sighs and pauses his ledger. “I trust as the captain and second in command to the Survey Corps that your judgement is solid.” _Was that a hint of sarcasm he detects? “_ It is always a pleasure to be graced with your grouchy presence,” Erwin continues impassively. “Now I have, as you like to put it, ‘babies to kiss and asses to wipe’.”

At the dismissal, Levi remains exactly where he needs to be. Easily boring at the sight of the man’s comic book brows, Levi stares down the wall behind the commander without actually seeing it. By the sound of the pen scraping against the paper under harsher pressure, and the speed with which the pace of writing picks up, Levi is confident he's managed to get under the larger man’s nerves. As Erwin ignores Levi in a hopeful effort to shake him, he mulls over in his head the implications of their conversation. _Erwin didn’t admonish new missions, nor did he seem concerned with my current agenda. Perhaps he wasn’t involved with the coordinates._ Never the more patient of the two, Levi makes his mind up and goes for the bullet. “I got a text from the emergency line.”

Intrigued, Erwin looks up. _So this is news to him._

The beat of silence that follows indicates to his giant friend that Levi isn’t going to continue. “Well it wasn’t Hange, or you would have beaten to the point by now. Who else has access to your emergency line, Levi?”

The question has an accusatory lilt to it, which does wonders to irk him. He knows it's fucking private information.

“I was hoping you could shine some light on that.” Retrieving the phone from his back pocket, he pulls up the message from the night before. He lays his arm across the desk and tips the screen towards the commander.

Erwin’s face goes from slightly intrigued to incredulous. “And what did you find at this location?” The blonde dodges an explanation to see what he can get out of it first.

“You recognize the number,” Levi deadpans. _Fucker can’t try to change the subject._

For once on the reciprocal end of an irritated glare from his friend, Erwin’s voice takes on a serious quality. “Levi,” his stern undertone signifies the full attention of his superior. _Finally we’re gonna get somewhere._ “What happened last night?”

 _Tsk. Or not._ He didn’t like how flippant Erwin is bulldozing over his question. Not a single ounce of smooth diversion, his friend isn’t attempting to play nice. That’s fine, he’s traversed this road before with the blonde. At the end of the day, they both have information the other wishes to grasp. “Are you aware of the existence of dark mages?” He starts with his bit of information to offer.

“I am aware of the numerous accounts of the myth. Since you are asking whether or not they exist, I can only conclude that you have seen what you believed was one.”

Levi’s reply is a glare, his eyelids slightly drooped to indicate that he thinks his boss is a fucking imbecile. Erwin’s rebuttal does nothing to soothe his impatience and only heightens a tone of irascibility in him.

Reacting to his glower, the commander continues with “Levi, it could have been an illusion spell.”

“Alright shit stain, I’m the god damn captain, remember? Go fucking undervalue a new recruit.” His tone is murderous at the prospect of Erwin second guessing him for the more logical route of this conversation.

Hands up in a placating manner, Erwin redirects his questions. “Alright, alright. So he sent you coordinates where you came into contact with a living, breathing dark mage?”

“He?” Levi doesn’t miss a beat.

Yet, eyebrows remains silent and asininely composed as if he isn’t purposefully withholding information from.

“There was a kid there,” Levi pauses for a moment reflecting on how he'd broken the tree line to reveal the scene that’s played over and over again in his head. The blonde woman shrouded in dark magic and ocean eyes looking nothing less than a deer in a headlight. “He was under attack-” he easily remembers the barest step of her foot protruding to expel a massive surge of the lethal blackness. He'd responded by producing a comparatively large stream of wind to prevent the direct hit. His magic did nothing to block it, resorting in desperation to acting as a bodily shield. “I barely fucking made it in time…” he quietly adds as an afterthought.

Erwin responds with concern of his own. “A child? Where are they now? Did you ascertain their parents?”

“Well, not a child per say. More like a young adult.” Shrugging with the realization of his own inconclusive answer he adds “at least eighteen or older.”

The commander smiles a bit. “Levi, that is not a kid. You need to get more experience with children instead of regarding them as smaller monsters.” Noticing Levi has no intention of commenting, the blonde continues to question “did you get a name?”

“Yes.”

A silence ensues with a palpable tension radiating off the commander. _I need answers first, asshole._

“You’re quite uncooperative this morning. What’s got you distressed?”

Ordinarily, this would have sent Levi into a string of curses about _the fucking balls from this motherfucking hypocrite_. However, his mind keeps going back to doe eyes. More specifically, on how the kid didn’t seem to remember much about himself. Levi wants to keep the playing field even if his comrade, who doubly surmounts as his boss, is currently acting the part of a flaky politician.

“I need to know the parties involved before I divulge any sensitive information," he flatly delivers without an ounce of regret.

Erwin lets out a deep laugh in which one can practically feel the hearty vibrations. “Now you’re being uncharacteristically soft. Just who was this ‘kid’ that managed to gain your attention? Not that I disapprove, you did say they were at least eighteen." His laughter continues to bounce off the walls as he finds himself humorous.

Levi does not join in, and the activity lowers to hit the floor where it promptly curls up and dies.

Erwin finally comes to the conclusion that Levi is entirely serious. The normally rude, mostly impassive, and blunt captain the blonde’s familiar with is stonewalling him on information to protect someone. After silent consideration of his long-termed friend, Erwin gestures with his hands splayed out flat to urge Levi to continue.

“Sender first.” The ravenette doesn't ask it as a question.

Understanding he was still hanging onto acquiring the identity of the coordinate sender, Erwin weighs his options. “First, I would like to ensure you fully know not to disclose this information to anyone. It is not to leave this room. I need to be exceptionally clear this name cannot be spread.”

Levi expresses his resolution with a subtle nod of his head.

“Okay then,” the blonde begins. “The number belongs to Dot Pixis.”

Flinching at the recognition, he stares at his hands laying face up on his thighs as he turns over the new information. Pixis is the sort of legend, one of the only divisional branch members to climb up the latter to the Embassy. Having been the commander of the Garrison, it was virtually unheard of. The Embassy is reserved for people of power, whether it comes from acquired wealth or family heritage. It's a closed circuit affair and one highly scrutinized as the Embassy held full control of the Division.

Three months ago Pixis abruptly stepped down from his position in the Embassy and retired. Rumor has it he discovered a source of corruption within the Division, a rumor that has only been whispered to the top commanding officers of each branch. Speculation considers Pixis either had a hand in the corruption and took himself out of the picture before he could get caught, or he was forced to step down so he couldn’t out the source. Either way, Pixis went off the grid as soon as he renounced his title. Nobody has been in contact with him since. No matter which way Levi ponders, it's bad news that someone of such a high controversial stature is involved with the kid right from the get go.

“Levi.” Erwin’s voice is gentle now, he can see the worry written on his face. “Who was the kid?”

“Eren.” The following immediate reaction that Levi gets out of Erwin does nothing to soothe his nerves. The tall blonde man’s eyes widen in astonishment as he sucks in a long breath. His face frozen in shock and breath held still suggests the idea that Levi has mentioned a ghost. _I said his first name. It was only his first name._ Testing the waters and ruling out any miscommunication, Levi continues to verify if Erwin jumped to the correct identity. “Eren Jae-”

Erwin dives across his desk and clamps his hand over Levi’s mouth.

Fighting the appeal to grab one of the spare knives hidden in the leg of his pants and stab the shit out of eyebrows, he tries not to focus on the amount of nasty fucking germs he just contracted. The only thing stopping him from immediately retaliating is the fact that Erwin’s hands are shaking. The perfectly composed man of frozen facial nerves is currently _shaking_.

Realizing his error, the hulking blonde withdraws said hands fairly quickly, but seems stumped on what to do next. He is reduced to a fettering mess as he begins moving papers across his desk to keep him grounded. In his frenzied state, he accidentally swipes a few materials too harshly and they scatter over the edges of the desk. Retrieving the papers now littered on the floor, he resolves to shakily compile them in one large stack. Taking a moment to stare with disbelief into empty space, he ultimately settles back into his chair and gives Levi his undivided attention. “I need you to tell me everything. Don’t leave out any details.”

“What’s your interest with the brat?” His friend has a tendency to utilize other people at the expense of the greater good. His habit usually impacts those who are willing to sacrifice and those who happen to be scum of the Earth. He isn’t sure Eren falls into either of these categories. Judging by the blonde’s reaction, he’s got some plan churning in his head. _I need to know if this is going to wind up hurting him_.

“He must have left quite the impression on you, Levi. Understandable, he has a certain way with people.” Pausing, the behemoth's teasing demeanor turns chastising as he admonishes “may I remind you who the higher chain of command is in this room?”

Levi smiles dangerously at the blonde sitting across from him; if it can be perceived as a smile by definition. The subtle shift of his lips and the exposure of a few teeth that would normally go unnoticed is read loud and clear for those who’ve known him. “ _Erwin, you’ve gone fucking brain dead_.”

Erwin slams his hands on his desk and raises his voice in anger. “Damn it Levi! I need details. Did he attack you? Did he run? Did he say something?”

“I saved his life, of course he talked to me,” Levi glowers in response.

The commander’s face fizzles from anger into dumbfounded disbelief. “An acknowledgement or actual sentences?”

“Erwin. What the fuck.” He marvels at his normally impassive and five steps ahead friend. Right now, the blonde seems to be having trouble with the basic function of processing what happened five seconds ago.

Something finally seems to click with Erwin and Levi watches the odd display of his brain bringing itself back together. Pulling a hand through his hair in an effort to brush off his bought of crazy, eyebrows settles with his fingers crossed in his lap. Appearing to be more professionally poised, he voices his next sentence with pure determination. “Levi. We need to protect him.”

There it is again. That gut dropping feeling that leaves Levi feeling like his stomach is tied in knots. It scares him. It makes him regret leaving the kid without someone else for security. He’s afraid to think something could have happened with only being gone for a little over an hour now.

“I don’t like the sound of that,” is his simple acknowledgement and signal of his departure as he rises up from his chair. Tucking it neat and orderly back into its original position, he heads for the door of the office.

“Where are you going?” Captain America calls out.

“I left him alone at his house. Not one of my finer decisions.” He’d rather focus on swiftly making progress across the room than continuing to chat.

“You were at his house?!”

Having reached the door, but pausing with the turn of the knob at another unusual outburst from the Commander, Levi eyes his colleague with curiosity.

“Levi. This is immensely important. We have a chance.”

“A chance at what?” He eyes the man cautiously.

“He let you in. Eren’s granted you a level of trust that he’s never offered to anyone before.” Erwin prattles on while he still retains his attention.

Levi suppresses the urge to roll his eyes. “I’m confident he’s let others in his house.” 

The commander sighs at his facetious comment. “Listen, he doesn’t work with anyone. Not willingly at least.”

He raises an eyebrow at the word ‘work’ and is distracted from his operation to get back to the brat as soon as possible. It reminds him of why he was pestering Erwin to begin with and that he hasn’t gotten any solid information. “Erwin, who is he?”

“You’d be better off finding that out for yourself. It would be easier to help him if you don’t go into it with an agenda.” The blonde rises to better communicate with his position at the door.

“Loosely, give me an idea of what I’m fucking dealing with.” He’s tired of treading the line of partial information without a solid basis.

“I can’t tell you who he is because that information is classified. And by that, I mean only the Embassy has the essential credentials. His existence is denied to the rest of the Division.”

Withdrawing his hand from the doorknob, Levi inwardly curses. “If you don’t know who the fuck the kid is, then why the hell do you know he needs protection?”

Erwin’s life mission has been to sniff out and expose the corruption within the Embassy. Together, the both of them have only been able to scratch the surface of minor crime and informant leaks in the underground. Levi’s not surprised his meddling companion managed to get a hold of classified information that could unravel just how deep the corruption lies. Erwin simply knows something he isn’t willing to divulge.

“I’ve had a suspicion of his general role for a long time, I’ve only recently obtained minor details when Pixis retired." Erwin places both hands down on his desk, his stocky figure making the appendages akin to giant columns supporting the rest of his massive body. "I’m of the persuasion that he can do a lot of good, we need to keep him out of anyone’s grasp to make it stay that way.” 

Levi feels a surmountable headache commencing as he mentally attempts to tie it all together without a goddamn bone to start. There is one thing he knows for a certainty. In this short time he’s managed to glean that Eren's involved with the Embassy and Pixis. It doesn’t take a fucking moron to follow the dots.

_I knew the fucking brat's magic._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wait, I’ll break down the branches of the Division of the Embassy in a fine tuned description, within an upcoming chapter.


	7. Arrived

Eren pitches back with a dull ‘thunk’ as his head makes contact with the drywall. Sitting crisscross on the frigid hardwood floor, he’s gratified the wall behind him acts as a support and temporary reprieve from emotions. Hitting his head repeatedly on the solid surface allows him the gratification of produced dissonance without causing injury. He’s still situated in the foyer alongside the door as he's remained since the ravenette departed, the lack of traversed distance synonymous with his reasoning for the head banging.

Prolonging the verbal whip-lashing from his friends, he’d texted both Mikasa and Armin to keep them at bay. They were not content with him. It might have made matters a teensy bit worse that he didn't call on first intention. After midnight faerie had left, he’d resolved to give Mikasa a ring and earned the chiding of a lifetime. He’d spit out a lame excuse that his phone battery had lost charge, but it didn't blow over well. It left him reduced to his current state where his sulkiness created a continuation of head banging against the structure of the house.

Eren was not surprised to discover during their conversation the two were already half the distance to the dwelling. That was roughly thirty minutes ago, giving him even less time before the number of inhabitants inside the manor tripled. If he were a smart man, he would have utilized the entirety of the time to conceptualize a plan. However, it took a lot out of him with the barest of conflict between his friends. They were always on good standing, but this was one of those cases where his companion’s concern for him evolved into fury at his careless manner. Though he isn't shirking fault, it's still not pretty to deal with.

After giving himself an emotional reprieve for mental stability, he finally feels ready to focus on what to confess to his comrades. Which is leaning more towards what _not_ to confess. There would be no way in hell the two would allow him to persist here if they knew he was attacked. He’d just scratched the premise of answers, so he needed to prevail on these grounds. _Especially since she had remained as well._ Eren knew it was reckless not to confess the footprint he discovered this morning to the guardian. Yet, he didn’t feel any ominous projected emotions like the previous night. _I know that I know her. I need the chance to speak with her._

The ravenette doesn’t seem to be one for chances. The man's too calculating and a little unforgiving when it comes to others. Eren can interpret that without travail despite the guardian’s stoic mannerisms. He’d even mentioned how distasteful and in poor character it would be to leave Eren to the wolves. _Well, that’s my exact reason for being present in this house._

 _Does the wolf apologize for standing on top?_ He thinks of the saying in the tone of a woman’s voice, deep and appealing except for the lilt of scratchiness portraying a hint of danger. There's something dark and hidden, comparable to the scuffle of spiders across a surface, coming to him from a snippet of memory. _Who said that?_ Frustrated, he wishes he could just remember.

 _Damned if I’m going to say anything to those two!_ He’s been so fretful, but the instinctual emotions driving his antsy state of mind have since quieted at the recent events. He’s confident the path he presently walks is the proper one. It wouldn’t blow over smoothly if he airily mentioned the attendance of an agent from a magic government. _Yanno, just a mysterious dude who seems angry at the world and is, well, magic. Just your everyday slice of life, I swear it’s nothing to worry over guys._

Yeah, guess he has to keep almost the entirety of the situation under wraps. The guardian had said he’d be back before nightfall, so Eren assumes he’ll be out for a protracted period of time. Hopefully, it’s long enough to convince his friends he still requires time alone to sort his thoughts before the porcelain man returns.

His position by the door allows Eren to perceive the distant whir from the approach of an engine, deeming him out of time for preparation. Gathering himself together, he opens the monolithic door and stands by the frame in wait. He nervously fidgets with the hemming of his shirt until his friends get out of the car. Mikasa is the first to emerge, as she is by far the most agile between the lot of them. Strikingly beautiful as always, her dark black hair cut just past her shoulders shimmers ever so gently in the breeze. The slight tilt to the corners of her eyes is the only tell to her Asian ethnicity. Her face and body language are cautiously tranquil and empty of external emotion, but Eren knows better- he’s had lots of practice. The moment her dark brown eyes meet green, he's victim to the piercing intensity of her stare.

Looking away to favor his less intimidating friend, Armin is just beginning to stand from the passenger side. He’s shorter in stature and his precious face depicts only marginally concealed worry, which is currently much easier to look at than Mikasa’s wrath. His blonde hair is still in the same level cut from childhood, though his face has matured to become more handsome over the years. Combine that with his crystal blue eyes and Eren's afraid he’ll have to start fighting people off him one day. Not that the blonde ever took a break from work long enough to date.

He’s suddenly thrown off balance and the air is rushed out of him as Mikasa catches him in a bear hug. It’s a miracle he doesn’t fall over by the shear force of the embrace as his oblivious sister effortlessly holds up the weight of him. She gradually tightens her hold, Armin coming to the rescue by joining in a group hug, reminding Mikasa of the breakable force she can exert. She gently tugs loose and whaps him on the shoulder with the back of her hand. It’s more playfully reprimanding than anything, he can tell she's just happy to see him alive and in person.

“Sorry. My phone was dead, charger wasn’t putting out juice. Had to flip the breaker to get the electricity to kick on.” _Annnd, there goes lie number one._ He pauses to look around as he leads them into the house. “Guess dad was paying the electric bill this entire time,” it’s more to prevent himself from looking at them directly while lying to their face.

“You mean still is,” Armin helpfully corrects his wording.

“No, I meant was.” Eren shrugs while pausing in the foyer to give them polite attention.

“What do you mean, the electricity is currently on. Right?”

He has a point. Eren just knows that when it comes to his father, past tense is the correct direction. Can he explain that? Not really. “I don’t know,” is his lame answer.

Doubly paired eyes dissect him with concern. This isn’t the first encounter with Eren venturing curious speech. It’s been happening for a while now and more so frequently. Thankfully, it’s vastly progressed to the factor where they only exchange weird looks and resettle rather than openly discuss it.

Hunting for a proper misdirection, Eren’s eyes fall on the parlor where he last saw the ravenette use his laptop. “Oh! And we have WiFi.”

“Well,” Armin starts. He poises the vocalization with a lilt, hesitant to superimpose with information. Finding a civic duty in educating those around him, he continues with propulsion “Dr. Grisha works remotely at any distance from his occupation.” Shrugging to politely downplay offering a counter viewpoint “your dad doesn’t like to put his work aside. It would only be logical.”

“Hm. Guess I was too young to really think about it back then.” He's glad for how easy it is to converse with his friends. He was expecting a commotion by the level of worry-turned-anger over the phone.

Mikasa mutely agrees through body language. She hasn’t veered far from Eren since the bear hug, and the subtle shift of her body to the right is the equivalent of an allied acknowledgement. _That’s right, Mikasa lived here too the last couple of years before we moved._ She must be recalling the validity of his statement.

“Plus, this place is decorated with so many antiques, I figured modern amenities were a no go.” Directing everyone towards the kitchen, he stares pointedly at the ornate island molding when he offers “this place sure is distasteful.”

Armin wipes a finger across the surface of the granite counter top, marveling at the adhering of dust to his fingertips.

 _He must have thought my dad was living here this whole time._ When his friend’s calculating blue eyes encounter his, he curves aside to deflect explanation. _We used to be so close, but s_ _ometimes secrets need to be kept from others for safety. Unfortunately my family has a lot of those._

The sound of cupboards opening and slamming shut distract Armin from his analytical brainstorming as Mikasa methodically assesses the contents within. Each cabinet door is closed more aggressively than the last after noticing they're all extant from food. “Eren, when was the last time you ate.” 

It isn’t a question, really. He’s been very unmindful lately and she knows he didn’t have the forethought to pack food with him. Hell, he trekked on foot! It would have only weighed him down. He looks down at his hands and focuses on twiddling his thumbs.

There’s another drawn out silence, another moment where his friends seem to communicate over his shoulder. Armin breaks the quiet worry that seems to stab Eren directly in the heart "of course, we already know you haven’t been eating. I packed lunch, let me just grab the cooler from the car.”

He makes his leave and Eren dutifully follows. As the blonde lifts the container from the trunk of the car, Eren grabs it out of his hands.

“Hey! If anything, you’re the last one who should be expending energy.”

Eren sticks out his tongue at the coconut head and superstitiously scans the area around them. He doesn’t like the idea of his friend going out to the car alone.

Sighing like he’s already given up, the blonde pouts “how is it physically possible for you to keep going? The body has a limit you know.” Armin halts his remiss as another thought occurs to him. “You seem to intentionally surpass these limitations like it's a personal challenge.”

Eren grins at his overly-active brainiac. Mostly to soothe his nerves, but partially because he's right. He has a tendency to over do it. They return to the kitchen just as Mikasa finishes clearing away a patch of dust from the island. He notes the dish cloth in her hand and asks for direction.

“I found it in the third pullout drawer to the right.” She gestures towards the compartment in question and amends her description, "the third one from the window.” Her tone is flat as ever, but Eren can read the exasperation at the unnecessary and ultimately excessive amount of cabinetry.

He takes a mental note, as he’ll have to find his way around the house one way or another. Armin rests the cooler down on the marble and begins unpacking the contents, taking a seat on one of the many kitchen stools with Mikasa following suit. Feeling guilty at the prospect of withholding information and maybe because he is a suck up, Eren opts to sit on Mikasa’s lap. Protest she does not, and it doesn’t take a genius to interpret the close proximity as a sort of apology from the distance he’s been keeping. Armin in turn nudges closer to the two so his chair legs touch. They fall into a comfortable silence as they set about eating. After a short remiss it doesn’t take long for Armin’s overactive mind to disturb the quiet. He talks about the dirt and dust accumulation, plotting out how long it will take to clean depending on the number of hands helping.

“Armin, you’re not cleaning my house. Neither of you are, it’s my decision to stay here.” Of course this does nothing to combat him, as Armin simply begins to lecture on the necessity of a sanitary environment and a ‘did you know excessive dust can contribute to’ rant. Then the coconut head surprises him by asking what it was like to go up to his room and see all his old paraphernalia.

“Oh. I haven’t actually been upstairs yet.” He ignores the feeling of Mikasa’s acute look on the back of his head and thankfully Armin continues to talk without taking notice.

“I really want to locate my old composition book with all my childhood studies,” he blushingly admits. “It would be interesting to see what level of knowledge I was operating with back then.”

This, of course, creates the perfect lean in for Mikasa, twisting the conversation to address Eren. “Based on the fact he still rushes head strong into situations, _his_ level of knowledge must not have progressed much.” Which, in her defense is completely accurate. He then gets a safety talk on inspecting the grounds before spending the night. _If she only knew._

As the conversation tapers off and they contently finish most of the food in front of them, his human cushion of a chair brings up what Levi had reprimanded him for before taking off. He’s starting to notice a pattern here. “If you’re dead set on staying here, we’ll have to go grocery shopping.” Then, siding with Armin, “we should spruce up this house a bit.”

This sends Eren into a state of panic as he lamely tries to think of an excuse that won’t dig himself in deeper with his friends. Grocery shopping and cleaning could take almost the entirety of the day, if not well into the night. It's hours to the closest town and the mansion is too large to tackle all at once. He doesn’t know that the guardian is coming back at _exactly_ dusk. It's just a ball park. He couldn’t risk them staying for too long because chances are, they're simply looking for an excuse to stay the night. More extensively, it creates an open door for them to stick around on a consistent basis. Once they’re in, they’re in. He ungodly appreciates the love and level of plotting his friends operate to stay within his life, but at the moment he can only turn over different escape routes.

There is a gentle resounding ‘click’ of the door knob in the foyer and Eren’s heart drops drastically in his chest. _It’s only been a few hours! Not fair._

Armin, having been turned at an angle to better fit his chair with the both of theirs, notices the intruder first. Mikasa, who's facing the opposite direction, is dumping Eren off her in seconds to stand in a defensive position in front of him. Yet, Armin surprisingly reacts before she has a chance to do much else.

“Captain Levi?”

~~

The ride to the dwelling is comparatively easy as opposed to the ride out, Levi had plenty of fuel to fire his thoughts, making the time pass quicker. He's looking forward to interrogating Eren on some factors he’d gleaned from Erwin. Making new acquaintances, not so much. The addition of a car in the driveway ( _if you can call it a driveway_ ) indicates to Levi that the brat’s friends are inside. He supposes it can’t be helped. If he were to work with Eren over any protracted period of time- and he has a feeling this case is going to be a long one, then he might as well get it over with.

But when he walks into the house he should have seen this coming. What with the number of bullshit that was consistently throwing itself at Levi like a starving whore, he really _should_ have seen this coming. Either way, no amount of reflecting on his mental preparation is going to change the fact that he's staring at two of his recruits. Both top of the incoming roster at that. “Of course it would be you two,” pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance he continues “this is turning into one big headache.”

“Sir, what are you doing here?”

He looks up slightly at the woman speaking and only wishes to kick himself more. The caller ID on the brat’s phone was ‘Kasa’, another warning sign that he really should have predicted it standing for Mikasa. It was as individually unique as one could get. He takes in her rigid posture and defensive positioning partially blocking Eren from the danger of himself. _Cute. But entirely unnecessary._ “Working.” He nods his head in the direction of the kid.

Armin, who still looks excited by the recent turn of events but critically confused, and Mikasa who radiates hostility but also holds the same tinge of confusion, both look to where he directed. Levi meets Eren’s eyes and he sincerely hopes to convey how he wants absolutely nothing to do with this surprise confrontation.

With all eyes focal on him, Eren sees a chance to dig for answers. “You both know him?” Then after a short pause for consideration, “wait, did you call him captain?”

The two recruit's eyes somehow manage to grow wider and they look to each other in a frozen state. Armin couldn’t get more sheepish and Levi has never truly seen such an open expression of guilt on Mikasa’s face before. Not that he knows either of them particularly well.

“They’re new recruits in the Survey Corps.” Eyeing them critically he tacks on in a contemplative manner, “top of the 104th.” _Something isn’t right here, what’s going on? First Pixis, then Erwin, now the two of them. But Eren didn’t know of mag-_

“You two are magic?” Eren asks, looking as if the whole world just blew up in front of him. _Shit, they were close weren’t they. A secret like that’s got to be hard on him._

Both their eyes go comically wider at his question. “You know about magic?” Armin pipes up in astonishment.

“He is magic.” Levi throws out and it's Eren’s turn to make a confused face. “He just doesn’t know it yet."

The excited banter stills at this, the brunette’s friends tepid and contemplative. Eren freely interjects like life changing revelations were not made in the matter of seconds. “I’m not magic. Anyway, what type of abilities do you two have?”

Mikasa crosses her arms around her chest in a defensive manner and opens her mouth to speak before Armin interrupts. “Wait Eren, say that again.” He’s got that look in his eye that reminds Levi of the commander when he’s onto something.

“What type of magic users are you?” He sounds confused as he says it.

“No, before that. About _your_ magic.”

“Armin. I do not have magic,”Eren huffs in irritation.

“Did you have magic capabilities at one point in time?” Now Levi is astutely tuned in. He knows first hand the logical aptitude Armin possesses and can recognize the cat being led by the string.

“What? Armin.” Looking at how serious his friend remains, Eren settles to humor him. “I do not currently have magic, I have never had magic.”

Armin’s eyes rapidly tick side to side as he contemplates the situation. Then, “have you ever had abnormal capabilities that some would explain as magic?”

Eren blinks, “yeah.” He doesn’t say it as a surprise, no expression of a new discovery. It just comes out like it’s the most natural thing.

“What was that capability? That you wouldn’t classify as magic?” Armin continues to dig.

“I don’t know." Again, like it’s the most casual conversation. 

Finally drawing his gaze away from where it was transfixed on the brat, he finds both his cadets are already staring back at him with a somber expression. _Wonderful. This conversation is just as easy as frolicking in motherfucking daises._ He does not look forward to the amount of shit that’s about to blow his way.

There’s another long, drawn out shared communication of silent expression between the two soldiers before Mikasa finally nods and addresses Levi. “He’s been doing this for about three months now.”

At the mention of three months, Levi’s head decided to amp up the pain a notch higher. Three months ago Pixis retired. _Coincidence? Fuck._ Levi’s pressing stare encourages her to enumerate. 

Looking at the kid with concern, she fills him in on the last couple of months living with Eren. “He missed work one morning and when I asked why he didn’t go, he couldn’t remember what his work was.” Armin takes over now, as Mikasa is reluctant to continue. “We finally took him seriously and explained that he worked with his dad, but Eren denied it. Said he hasn’t for a long time. It’s been a repeat of similar circumstances ever since. As subjects come up, he’ll say strange astonishing things and when pressed for an explanation he’ll simply say he can’t remember.”

Levi inwardly breathes a sigh of relief. Simple enough, "memory suppression spell.” But as he says it, one look at Armin tells him it's too good to be true. The baby faced blonde is brighter than Erwin, just without the practical experience. The idea had already been analyzed and shut down.

“He doesn’t eat.” Armin looks pained as he says it.

Levi pointedly glances over to Eren who is sitting at a kitchen table currently occupied by plates of food scraps.

Addressing his obvious nonverbal retort, “only if you sit down with him, give him a reason to keep up appearances. Otherwise, he’ll go days without consuming anything. He takes off all the time, just walks out the door and doesn’t come back until one of us tracks him down. It’s like taking care of an Alzheimer’s patient.”

At this point Eren looks nonplussed as they're blatantly talking about him despite being situated directly in his presence. Not to mention he possesses the capability of representing himself. Levi looks to Eren and addresses him, even though it was Armin’s statement. “Doesn’t rule out a memory suppression spell, just means it’s a complicated one.” It irks Levi that Armin continues without a chance for Eren to interject in the least. Not that it looks like the brat's going to, but it appears like his friends have adopted the role of makeshift parents.

“But you heard it yourself, Eren still has a sense of validity for certain things. It doesn’t stir up any sort of connection with a memory-”

Levi immediately recalls Eren’s words at home the night before. _I can find my way around the woods like it’s second nature. I always know where I’m going. But I don’t have a single memory in association that would justify knowing._ He’s looking at Eren, who is simply peering back at him as if his cognitive abilities are not under scrutiny. The brunette is serene, his attention bypassing his friends as if he’s heard it all before, but he watches Levi for reactions to information as it is revealed.

“It appears to erase a large facet of his memory” Armin continues. “Memory supression usually targets a specific event or the knowledge of an external individual, and there’s not a single derivative of the spell strong enough to erase almost all aspects of his past.”

It quiets down for a moment, the coconut head having worked himself up and needing to pause for breath. In the silence, Levi narrows his eyes at the brat who continues to sit pretty on the kitchen chair. Partly, because it’s a complicated mess that he’s now tasked to unravel. More so, because Eren is beginning to seem more and more like an anomaly. The brunette does not react to his change in facial expression and Levi can’t seem to pinpoint whether or not he’s picked up another mask.

Softly, Armin breaks his concentration by continuing his train of thought. “Once it erased most recollections of experiences…” Sorrow. Armin’s tone is full of nothing but unhappiness and regret, indicating there's a significant barrier existing between Eren and his past. “He wouldn’t be able to verify the truth of things.”

The blonde is right. A spell would be too easy, and nothing about this kid is easy. He continues his reciprocated observation of the kid, but Eren just blinks back at him. _Not a mask. He just doesn’t have anything to hide._ “What do you think?” He asks ocean eyes.

“He doesn’t know-”

“I think Eren knows better than anyone what he does and doesn’t know,” he cuts in before Armin can finish. This time, he turns to address the recruit and is greatly satisfied to watch his jaw snap shut. Facing Eren again, he simply eyes him rather than repeating the question. Then the kid smiles. It’s a slow, hesitant smile, but it gains confidence as it becomes clear the brunette cannot inconspicuously tug it back down. It’s not a thankful smile as Levi is first to interpret it as. No, the longer he looks the more apparent it becomes the kid isn’t relieved in any means by his friend’s shut down. It's placating. _That little shit, what isn't he telling me?_

“How did your investigation go?” Like the flip of a switch, his social standing with the brat reverts back to square one. Eren deflects the question with another, comparative to his game of intel originally played with Erwin.

Levi’s pounding head reminds him of just how dandy he is with the way the day has turned out and it only makes his eyes narrow more dangerously at the brat. Erwin’s voice from earlier rattles around his mind as a gentle reminder. _He doesn’t work with anyone. Not willingly at least._ He forces himself to sigh and leans back as he contemplates the turn of events. Eren seems open and friendly with him when he isn’t digging up shit. He is perfectly happy to learn new things and actually enjoys banter or idle chit chat. When Levi presses for anything regarding his life or the people within it: the kid elicits a barrier.

Levi has a feeling he’s the fortunate one thus far, Eren seems the sort to easily manipulate a conservation and politely dismiss any attempts at getting closer to him. Yet, Levi is here now. That counts for something. He doesn’t like it, but he might as well make the most of it. Gearing himself up for a very long day, he starts walking past Eren into the kitchen. He grabs the clean mug he'd utilized earlier from the sink's strainer and inspects it. Satisfied that it is indeed near immaculate, he turns to the brunette.

“Tea is in the cabinet directly behind you,” the kid directs as he rises from his seat to join Levi.

Upon opening the cabinet, Levi tersely considers that at least the brat is honest. There’s a measly few scattered bags of green tea available, the massive cabinet mocking the small portions by swallowing it up.

Eren starts brewing water and softly laughs at Levi’s expression. “You drink black tea, I’m guessing?”

“The darker the better.” Levi severely hopes for the kid's sake that he doesn't retort about the association between the bitterness of his tea and his personality. It's been done before, and shitty eyes definitely paid for it.

“I’ll have to remember that for when I go shopping,” ocean eyes thoughtfully offers instead.

Levi softly hums and leans back against the kitchen counter. In the comfortable silence that follows, he notices that he’s directly facing the island with empty plates. “Which side are you on?”

“Hm?” Eren asks with confusion.

“What do you drink?”

“Oh!” His face is an open book once again, comically expressive. “I don’t drink tea. Mainly hot cocoa.”

Levi quirks an eyebrow at him and fails miserably to hold back a smirk. Eren is still confused, not entirely sure why Levi finds it amusing. “Do you need a booster seat when you drive that car of yours?”

“Fuck you.” It comes out with a laugh, as the brat is catching up to his mistake of adding more fuel to the fire. It’s a warm, hearty laugh that makes him want to lean in closer to embrace it. Levi sends out his wind in an attempt to grasp it from the air and jolts with surprise when the brunette’s laughter stops, alerting Levi to what he’s doing. _Shit. That’s the second time_. His magic has no sense of restraint around Eren and he always has impeccable control of it.

The kid takes the mug from his hands and fills it with the now hot water, handing it back with a small smile on his face. Levi latches onto the mug as the only diversion to thoughts he doesn’t wish to contemplate. After adding his bag of tea, he places the mug on the kitchen island. There’s more drawn out silence, Eren staring out the window in content as if nothing perturbing has ever occurred in the duration of his lifespan. Mikasa and Armin stare between the two of them in utter shock.

Eren had said ‘fuck you’ to him. _I’m sure that’s the first time they’ve witnessed anyone dare it and survive._ While Levi could bask in the silence for a longer period of time, he scrutinizes the uncomfortable atmosphere wafting off the two cadets in waves. They are entirely unsure of where to proceed from here. They had also just dropped an entire monologue of worries about their close friend that most likely hasn’t been shared with anyone outside of their own. His subordinates may as well have laid their hearts out in the open in a desperate attempt for Levi to fix it, and instead he’d cracked a joke and now quietly sips tea. As much as he wants nothing more than to decompress from the day, he understands how essential it is to press on. “I got a name.”

Eren jumps from where he's peering from the window in excitement. “Really! Who is she? Where did she come from? What did she want? Is there more-”

“Not that name,” Levi cuts off vibrant eye’s twenty questions.

“Oh.” Dejectedly, he returns to looking out the window as if Levi never said anything at all. _What the hell._ It was another verbal door slammed in his face. Eren appears entirely uninterested at whatever information Levi had attained.

“Not who’s name?” Mikasa wearily presses.

Eren jumps again, but this time it isn’t in excitement. His face is full of horror as he looks to Mikasa and then pleadingly at Levi.

“Not a chance, brat.”

The kid seems to resolve himself to his fate, and settles into a couch built into the wall under the window with all the dramatic air of one whose been tormented. So Levi curtly brings the clueless up to speed. He figures he’ll need all the help he can get on this case. Since his recruits happen to already be involved, and that they are indeed members of the Survey Corps, it doesn’t make sense to leave them ignorant.

They are not content to hear about the attempted murder that Eren conveniently kept secret. Besides the droves of concern emanating from Mikasa, his recruits acted up to par with their positions. Gone was the distress and ranting from when he'd first walked through the door, in its place are the steeled serious faces of his soldiers as if they'd been assigned a duty. _I suppose, in a way they have. We’ll have to collectively keep an eye on this one. He has a pension for trouble._

“Captain, sir.”

Levi nods at Armin to indicate for him to continue.

“If you did not acquire the identity of the attacker, then whose name did you mention before?”

Levi looks towards Eren to ensure he’s paying attention. _Fucking brat_. He receives nothing less than a miserable accusatory glare from the brunette, but it's enough to know he's still listening. “The sender of the coordinates.”

Everyone in his audience perks up except for the pouting child in the corner. Eren continues his petulant stare, uncaring that Levi had to pry the information from Erwin and now lay victim to a terrible headache. “Eren.” _Take this seriously_ , is the unspoken.

The signal's read, as indicated by the subtle nod in Levi’s direction, but the glaring continues.

“Does the name Pixis ring any bells?”

A quiet gasp from Armin and a straightening of Mikasa’s posture is all Levi requires in observance to determine they’ve caught wind of the significance.

Eren couldn’t be phased in the slightest. “Sure. I know him.” He shrugs as he says it, like it’s as common as sharing a mutual classmate.

“How do you know him?” Levi’s eyes narrow in concentration.

The _fucking shithead_ smiles. It’s not a placating smile like before. It’s all teeth and aggressive bite. His voice drips with sarcasm as he quips “I. Don’t. Know.”

Levi’s expression smooths itself into an unreadable mask. He gently sets the mug of tea down on the counter and strides over to the fucker with nothing short of danger in his eyes. In the end, he’s stopped in his tracks by Mikasa. Probably a good thing, seeing as beating the _ever living shit_ out of the brat would not earn him any of the trust needed to solve this case.

“Please refrain from touching him.” It may have been worded politely, but her voice is barbed with the steel of a threat. The tension in the air is palpable as Eren and Levi continue their manic stare down with Mikasa at the defense. “Captain Levi.” This time it’s more intense, harshly belt out as if she's stating her last warning.

But there’s a swift change as the kid’s hostility drops to bewilderment. He looks from Mikasa to Levi with extremely wide eyes that almost touch on fear. “Wha-” he attempts to speak, then cuts himself off. His eyebrows crease in concern and he looks down at his hands like the world is crashing in on itself. Which would seem like a hard thing to do, seeing as this kid’s world has literally been crashing in on itself for the entirety that Levi’s known him.

“I didn’t… you…” his eyes snap up to Levi as he attempts the English language. He sucks in a breath and his bewilderment turns to gentle confusion as he scans Levi up and down like he’s seeing him for the first time. “I never asked for your name.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Green tea is for Mika! Always gotta keep it in stock.


	8. Into The Woods We Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugghhh. Justified alignment is my new pet peeve. It makes weird spaces in the text that shouldn't exist, but for some reason it gets automatically applied every now and then when I paste my work. Sorry I'm just now catching it, I have to actually read through the story to notice which chapters are affected to fix it 😤😤

There’s an audible crack as Eren's foot makes direct contact over a segment of decrepit wood. The momentary gangling of his legs sporadically attempting to regain balance has him fumbling with forward momentum. He can’t stop his ankle from rolling over itself and it creates the final blow to conquering what little equilibrium he's got left. Eren plummets to the earth, earning himself an unpleasant meeting of semi-decomposed leaves and rough pebbles. Angrily groaning at his simple misgivings, he turns over from where he lays on the ground and flops onto his back.

The sky is not visible from here. He must have wandered deeper in the midst of the woods than he was aware. The canopy jealously hoards the sight of the pristine blue sky he'd started his jog under. The gentle shaking of the tree branches loosen some leaves that spiral down in a lazy flow. If he were in a good mood, he might describe it as beautiful. Since he is currently morose from the pain shooting up his ankle, he chalks it up to the trees quivering with laughter at his downfall.

Getting pissy with nature isn’t going to coax him into a better mood. He gingerly attempts to stand upright and winces when he applies weight on his foot. _There’s no chance of jogging back. Shame._ He'd been running for a good forty five minutes, it’s going to be an even longer return at a walking pace. Experimentally applying pressure to the injured foot, he stops at just the right level before his ankle signals too much to bear. _I suppose I can work with it, limping is still an option on the table._

He corrects his direction to turn back the way he'd came, except the little tumble disoriented his sense of starting point. Eren is in a portion of the woods that can only be described as old growth. The massive grandfatherly trees around him are as evenly spaced as the randomized selection of nature will allow. The span of foliage extended as an arms defense against intruding saplings, choking out the light to prohibit the growth of other trees in its vicinity. The result is a monotonous landscape, bold and captivating in its age, but highly indistinct of trail markers. There is no understory. The lack of light ensures it, so the chances of sighting an agglomeration of shrubs or herbaceous plants to distinguish the landscape are slim to none. He may have ate dirt when he decided to tango with the ground, but the layers of leaves on the surface simply buffeted any disturbance. There's no discerning drag line from when he'd first tripped to when he met his downfall.

 _I guess I’ll just pick a direction and keep walking until I recognize something_.

Preoccupied with his thoughts, he had left the house this morning and didn’t recall much of the run that transpired. His blunder is the only thing that snapped him out of it.

 _I wonder how long I would have kept running for?_ Reminiscing on what had him so distracted, he realized he wasn’t thinking about much of anything. He had mostly zoned out. Not that there was much to marvel. The last couple of days were highly insignificant, almost boring in its quality. Things fell into a state of normalcy. Mikasa and Armin settled into coming and going as they pleased. The two would stay for the majority of the time if it wasn’t for the requirement of reporting for work. The only reason they're comfortable leaving Eren for any length is that Levi tends to be present when they are not. There’s a dull and oddly familiar feel to the return of his close comrades, the only reminder remaining of the events that transpired is the newly addition of the ravenette.

The stoic and angry faced man with the gunmetal grey eyes that Eren _didn’t even think to ask of his name_. He had been referring to him in his head with so many personal nicknames, yet he never stopped to deliberate that the man had an actual birth given identity. Hell, even Levi had asked for Eren’s name. He was completely bewildered over the amount of trust he'd handed off to midnight faerie by not establishing that crucial bit. The man had been in his home for _hours_ before his mistake became apparent.

It wasn’t perfectly unjustified. He recalls his not-so-subtle freak out when Mikasa threatened the guardian by name. The latter spiraled into a confused conversation on a certain subject amiss.

_Armin, as always, is the first to reason through the disarray and discomfort that directly resulted from Eren’s outburst. Scratching the side of his head in a nervous tick, the blonde voices his misdirection “the way you both interacted, I assumed you had known each other for a while.”_

_Mikasa silently nods her agreement and stands off more to the side, rather than blocking Levi from attacking him. Guess Eren threw everyone off enough to forget the bit of antagonizing he'd performed. The porcelain man’s face is still just as unreadable, but the menace in his eyes is gone. In its place… well Eren_ _couldn’t_ _place. That's the problem._

_“Didn’t the Captain come barging in without knocking?” Armin continues to inquire with his eyebrows bunched up in confusion. Levi turns towards the coconut head with a dull look of reproach that sends Armin into a defensive sputter. “I mean, not to draw offense or imply you’re rude sir! I just thought, I don’t know, usually people don’t walk into others houses without knocking unless they know them really well.” The last bit tapers off quietly as Armin digs himself into a deeper hole._

_Levi doesn’t comment and Mikasa becomes his savior by voicing a question before the onslaught of an awkward silence. “How_ _did_ _you two meet?”_

 _Eren recognizes a double edged sword when he sees it. On one hand, if he had known Levi for an extended period of time it would seem like he was hiding things from them. More than he already was. On the other hand, which is the true hand, it looks really bad on himself that he really just doesn’t know the man. “Yeah so, remember when he told you about that lady who tried to kill me?”_ _Now_ _he can place the look in the ravenette’s eyes. The fucker is totally laughing at him._

_“... and you just, let him in your home and didn’t ask who he was?” The tone she uses is equally angry and motherly at the same time._

_This makes Eren only want to argue his side more, he doesn’t need to give anyone more reason to keep tabs on him._ _“I did… kind of. I asked what he did for a living, summed up what I needed to know.”_

_This does naught to soothe Mikasa’s worry._

_There’s a concealed chuckle that is quickly covered over with a cough, but the damage is done and attention is diverted to the unfortunate blonde. He does well under the scrutiny this time, face alight with humor and disbelief. “Eren, did you walk around calling him no-name? I can’t seem to straighten this one out logically.” He chuckles again as he says it and Levi astonishingly joins with a smirk. Mikasa simply rolls her eyes, but Eren can detect the tiniest crinkling of her eyes. “What was going through your head?”_

_He hums and turns it over for a moment, because it is a valid question. Why hadn’t Eren thought to ask for his name? “I dunno… guess I just trusted him.” This earns him another unreadable stare from midnight while his friends sigh in frustration. “Pshh, don’t act all disappointed with me. I’m a good judge of character.”_

Eren is drawn from his revere as a nagging sensation warns him to pay attention. His footsteps crunch over the grassy portion of a hillside, the vegetation below dry from the harshly incessant sunlight. Recognizing the wide dirt road about a mile off in the distance, he is surprised by how far he's wandered aloof. The road is the partition from the highway, though at this particular mile marker it's quite a ways from the main route.

The open meadow creates a constant flow of the sun’s energy and Eren absolutely basks in it. This would be the perfect opportunity to take a nap, curl up on a patch debunk of wildflowers and let nature lull him to sleep. He isn’t tired though, just an opportunist. It's been a while since Eren’s let himself truly relax, and he can’t help but think that things are falling into place. Whatever those things are.

The pang of his ankle has died down moderately, and without the excuse of exhaustion or injury he can’t willingly succumb to relax under the warmth of the sun. Strange, he usually has a high pain tolerance and could have sworn he'd injured his ankle more severely than a short walk’s time could heal. Either way, the rays of the sun kissing his tan skin make his body thrum with energy. So he persists onward.

_Coming to in a cold sweat and shaking from a nightmare he can no longer remember, Eren scans his surroundings for threats. It's unfamiliar, not because he doesn’t know where he is, but because the master bedroom of the house is not a place he had much experience with. It's a cold and empty room without exaggeration. The floor plan spanned the area of the kitchen, acting as a parallel layer on the second story. In the room itself is a massive king bed and one long shuttered closet._ _There's no welcoming touch to the domain; a place to sleep and nothing else._

_The bathroom is highly accommodating, on the other hand. Eren's grateful for this as he makes his way to the adjoining room to splash water on his face. There isn’t much in the way of messing up a bathroom, the lack of clutter and creative touch only make it seem pristine. The trend of luxury continues, as the master bath ordains a spacious glass shower the size of a medium closet._

_Shocking his system by hitting his face with chilled water, he debates his next move. There is no falling asleep after that. He may not recall the nightmare, but he evaluates it was a awful one. Going back to bed too soon would only launch him back into it. There isn’t much to do in the middle of the night either, it’s not like Eren took up many hobbies._

_He’ll cope with his usual resort by aimlessly walking around._

_He cringes a bit when the large double doors of the master room creak in old age as he attempts to leave the room undetected. Levi had taken the guest bedroom directly across from him. In hindsight, if it were anyone else it would have annoyed him. He doesn’t want the constant scrutiny and worried protectiveness the last couple months have offered. But it’s Levi. He’ll hunt for information and Eren will lash out like usual, then he’ll simply stop pressing. There is no deep hurt that inflicts guilt on Eren such as when his friends attempt it. Of course, he’ll come at Eren again with a roundabout tactic to divulge information._

_But Eren enjoys it, something to stop his mind from going crazy in the senseless boredom of simply waiting. If it’s an exceptionally good day, it will erupt into an argument. Levi is level headed, but consistently grumpy at best. There’s nothing Eren loves more than antagonizing him into a fight._

_He gets the feeling they both enjoy it. Eren can’t senselessly roam all the time, especially when his friends visit, or it fuels the strange looks and decreases his level of privacy in suffocating protection. The grey eyed man likely finds it a welcome outlet for his frustration, as working with Eren has yet to reveal any headway._

_Eren wonders why he's worried to begin with, midnight faerie is an insomniac. It’s highly improbable he occupies the room across from him, increasing Eren’s chances of having a run-in with him downstairs regardless. The real trouble passes when he transgresses the hallway and lands on squeaky floor boards. Both his friends find shelter in his house tonight, he doesn’t want to add sleep walking to their ‘watch for Eren’ list. Carefully pacing his steps and strategically leveraging his weight to avoid the excessive protest of wood, he passes their chambers and continues down the hall. Gripping the staircase in a vice for triumph that neither bedroom doors swing open, he continues his descent with the happiness of a small victory. Of all the extra bedrooms in his not so humble abode, everyone who occupies the house has gravitated to the rooms closest to him._

Seriously, there are a lot of rooms, they couldn’t have spread out just a little? _He could turn this place into an orphanage with well meaning if he wanted to._

_It’s not a bad thought, and it keeps him preoccupied on what starting an institution like that would entail. He makes his way to the kitchen and obtains a glass of water, simply standing and sipping in his repose. His business plan comes to a draw as it occurs to him the woods do not currently offer the safest of environments. Having an attempted murderer on the loose isn’t the best time to move defenseless children in._

_Eren’s lost his distraction and is filled with unrest. He’s tired. Darkness never fails to leave him exhausted and he’s more than a little frustrated from his interrupted sleep._

_A light of hope shines on him then. Literally, standing as he is in the kitchen he can see a light flick on from across the foyer coming directly from the parlor._

_Someone else made his decision for him by alerting their presence, so he makes his way towards the occupied room. It’s not the first time he’s ventured downstairs from a nightmare to find Levi fully awake. He’s usually invested in his laptop, fingers tapping away, engrossed in work related business. This time, as Eren crosses the foyer he detects something amiss. There are voices, snippets of a conversation with the actual words lost as the walls translate it to a gargled mess. The man’s usually alone._

_His admittance to the parlor immediately ceases the conversation and three sets of eyes snap to his person. Guess he didn’t have to worry so much about waking his friends. Whatever they were talking about, it's clear they don’t wish to continue in his presence._

_He offers a simple nod and turns to take his leave. It can’t bother him anymore, he wouldn’t be in this mess of it wasn’t for his own ignorance on subjects._

_He makes it just beyond the threshold before someone calls his name. Normally, he’d keep going. It’s not the first time he’s walked upon a conservation exchanged between his friends in which he wasn’t privy to hear. He’s since exhausted the string of apologies and excuses, or long standing explanations of why he should know that his mannerisms are off._

_It is unusual that it’s Levi who calls him back, not being one for wasting breath. Awkward interactions don’t bother him like other people and he could care less if Eren could be potentially miffed. The ravenette has a sort of ‘it is what it is’ state of mind. He's fine with it, makes things less complicated._

_“Eren.”_

_He turns, slightly unnerved by the number of eyes peering back. It's too early to be dealing with this. Probably around three in the morning, seeing as his nightmares have been reoccurring on the dot. The ravenette’s expression is carefully unreadable as always. Impassive, that’s about the only indication he can get. Whatever he wants to say, he doesn’t look angry for once so Eren only guesses that this is the ravenette’s attempt at being soft._

_“You ‘kay?”. It’s a gruff question as lent by the choice of wording. He supposes it makes sense, midnight faerie doesn’t seem like one to care for others, and looking after their well being isn’t high on his list of experiences. The question likely derives from the routine they had started a few nights back, Eren ripping himself out of a bad dream and finding Levi the only one awake. He typically meanders into the parlor and sits with his company in silence for a bit, before wandering back to bed. Levi never asks though, always seems to sense he doesn’t want to talk._

_Now, with the interesting cant of the word and deep tone of voice, it triggers something. He sees an image of someone, not completely unfamiliar from the facial features of Levi, but still vastly different. They were speaking, talking in slang. No, threatening. They were inches from Eren’s face- it was a portion of his nightmare. Whoever it was, they meant only ill will._

_“Hey Levi?” His voice is uncharacteristically small, but it carries nonetheless. It's weird too, saying his name out loud like that for the first time._

_A feeling that must have been mutual as Armin interjects “_ Captain _Levi. You’re supposed to address the formality or it’s like calling your parent by their real name.”_

_Armin doesn’t mean it to be snide, He's simply being Armin. Eren supposes to them, it probably does feel like calling a parent by their name. But he doesn’t work with the lot of them, and if he’s going to be left out of the loop on their magic inner circles, then Eren doesn’t have to abide by the same rules._ _“You do.” He informs the coconut head. “I’m not a member of the Survey Corps, doesn’t apply.”_

_There’s a look that passes across Mikasa’s face as she gauges Levi’s reaction and then promptly returns her gaze to Eren. There’s something accusing there, not in a spiteful manner, but as if she’s just pinpointed information that she’s not willing to openly voice._

_“Hmm.” Armin taps his finger against his lip as he contemplates. “I suppose you’re right. But you are technically working with him now, or rather, his work involves you. So I guess it’s up to him? Whether or not he’s comfortable without the formality?”_

_Mikasa nudges Armin with a discrete smile, as if attempting to clue him in on whatever information she’s managed to glean. He looks confusedly at her, and when no more explanation is offered his face contorts with more muddiness as he looks to the ravenette. “Captain Levi?”_

_“D’snt bother me.”_ _There it is again._

_He’s already forgotten the face. Hell Eren had completely forgotten the elusive nightmare all over again at Armin’s distraction. He can’t recall it as much as he pulls to remember the unpleasant experience._ What was significant about it? Something familiar?

_“What was your question?” It’s Levi now who interrupts Eren’s thoughts._

_Yet, he forgot there was a want to ask anything, it feels so long ago. He knows he must look an interesting sight, eyebrows aggressively drawn together as if the ferocity of the effort can bring it back. No good. It’s always like this: he forgets, he remembers, he doesn’t remember for long and then he forgets again._ _His eyes draw back up to Levi apologetically, but the sight of his face still nags something familiar._ Familiar! That’s it. _“Levi, do you have any family?”_

_The guardian visibly stiffens, eyes widening marginally in surprise. Both his friends have the same reaction, but for a different reason as Mikasa soon vocalizes her stance. “Eren! You can’t just ask people-”_

_“Or just someone loosely related to you, not necessarily close.” He talks over his concerned sister before she can think too far into it. “Nor really looks that alike? I don’t know, the way you were talking reminded me of someone.”_

_“Describe them.” Levi’s voice is deeply low and intimidating as he speaks with an utmost serious quality._

_It’s jarring. The guardian and him may have a few verbal swings at each other now and then, but Eren has never seen such an infuriated countenance from him. Grey eyes flash with nothing but barely concealed wrath and it makes Eren eternally grateful that this man is on his side. He can’t imagine being the culprit to bring about that withering glare. He swallows and attempts to find his voice, but finds it too challenging under the scrutiny. He turns his back to him instead and cowardly retreats to the foyer. As he crosses the threshold he mentally chides himself. To agitate someone with his questions to the point that the air around them is stifling, then offer no condolence in return for poking a sensitive subject matter- he’s acting like a child._

_Pausing, his hand subconsciously catches the molding of the door frame to bodily prevent his retreat. Over his shoulder he addresses Levi, who deserves an answer. He resolves to speak, only nothing comes out. It’s really no good. He’s quiet and meek with his alternative answer, disappointed by himself. For once he wishes he could be fucking_ useful.

_“I can’t remember now. I always forget my nightmares.”_

A gentle slurry of wind enlists the smell of crisp pine leaves to awaken his senses. _Pay attention_ , it all but smacks into him as he travels down the conveniently level and uninterrupted road to his house with ease. It’s equal to the manner in which he was jerked out of his own traveling mind on the hillside. He had chalked it up to addressing a medical assessment of his ankle, thinking that the strain of walking on it brought attention. Yet, his ankle had felt amended.

Shaking himself now because he’d simply shrugged it off, he should have known better to listen to his instinct. This time he can place the feeling. Someone’s watching him.

 _Deja vu, anyone?_ The last time he had made the trek along this road it led to a battle of sorts. Now, he doesn’t feel the prickling sensation of spite. It just feels like… someone's watching him. No tricks, no pullies and levers, simply observing. He can take an accurate stab at who.

Eren's not terribly far from the house, a couple more minutes of walking down the scenically enclosed path. A few days ago, he'd summoned up bravery and persevered to his end goal of a destination. The feeling of being watched back then wasn’t hostile to start, but it hadn’t yet been benign. Now, Eren could swear it's nothing but curiosity. Even still, he makes the conscious decision to veer into the woods, taking a roundabout alternative path home to throw her off. He wasn’t about to contribute to sitting duck syndrome. How thorough of a knowledge of the forest the perpetrator entails, Eren does not know. He can’t predict the woman, but he also cannot let her predict him in turn.

So he meanders. Points himself directly in a straight path, then turns in a lazy circle a good couple yards in. Picks another direction, leads himself further away from the main trail. Then he’ll abruptly twist again, following this sporadic pattern while continuing to make headway. His goal is to make her assume he’s discontinued the notion of returning to the house, as she only striked last time when she was sure he’d stay in one place. The unfortunate side effect, is that he indeed is further away from the house.

There’s one fact that holds an upper ace up his sleeve, he knows the area exceptionally better than his assailant. Familiar, she might be. At best comfortable, but Eren grew up in these woods. He has a nagging feeling this isn’t the first time he’s ever led an enemy on a goose chase. There’s an area to the north of here of lower elevation, the resulting water retention from the runoff creating a marsh-like environment. An obvious change of vegetation notable as a trail marker to even the fledgling adventurer. Not visible from the surface, is the underground stream that transpires below the ground of the marsh. The flow of running water disperses further south into the woods, heading straight in the same direction but at a slight curve, coming to an outlet where the stream meets the surface again. It floods into a basin deeper than the marsh they came from, but not obvious from superficial looks alone. The result is confusing, creating a scenery much like a recreation and the constant slender turn in direction leads one to initially question whether they'd circled back.

He’s hoping to convince her of just that, when in fact the second wet environment lands him closer to the posterior of the house. Well, closer to the gregarious back yard that will eventually get him to the house.

There’s another change in environment just before the clearing of lawn that he’s banking on. It’s dense, really dense. There are areas that exist where no passage is proven possible without some combination of crawling through, ducking under, and climbing over. But he’s done it before and he’s _fast._ He’ll pick up his pace twofold and hope to loose her, finding the safety of his home and colleagues just beyond.

Eren doesn’t think he's obvious with his intentions, but in consideration, maybe it doesn’t take a genius to hypothesis at his plan when coming upon the formidable scraggly vegetation. Either way, the feeling of being acutely tailed has accompanied him on his adventure thus far. With the reaches of the entangled fortress of trees and shrubs ahead, it becomes less of a feeling and more of a reality.

There’s a movement in his peripherals, a blur of a shadow for a split second before it dives behind a ligneous plant. There’s no argument over imagination here, the scuffle on the ground is audible in her haste. It’s no coincidence that she reveals herself at this particular destination. Perhaps a bit accidental, a mere sloppiness at the prospect of loosing him. Either way, it’s clear she’s drawn to the conclusion that Eren means to scramble in the compact domain.

A strange sound distracts him from his search for the blonde, reverberant words on the wind too jumbled and resounding to make out actual speech. Nervously, Eren likens it to a drawn out echo reduced to a subtle moan. His assailant is troubled too, her shoulder visible from the tree she ducked behind as she jerks at the sound. He can’t see her completely, but he hears her footsteps draw backwards, away from the interference.

Suddenly, the landscape erupts into movement as a heavy blow of wind tares its way through the forest. It dislodges small rocks and branches in its path, uplifting the initial layer of leaves on the forest floor. Then there really are words on the wind.

_“Eren!”_

_“Where are you?”_

There’s no mistaking the articulation of Mikasa and Armin. His friends are looking for him. It must be midnight’s magic that carries their voices.

The woman is no longer hiding, squatting in clear sight behind a snag that only remains as a massive stump. She’s looking directly at him, but he detects no malice. _Why is she ducking? She knows I can see her._ He looks about his surroundings puzzled, until he notices a trend. Eren stands just beyond the thicket enclosure, partially enclosed and buffeted by trees from the wind. The woman is more out in the open and would have been subject to direct contact with the current had it not been for the forked flow as it bent around the stump.

 _She’s hiding from the wind?_ He doesn’t think it was meant as an attack, only to carry a message. In deliberation, he concludes it probably wouldn’t have hurt her. _So why?_

Understanding dawns on him as he simultaneously tests his theory by thrusting his hand into the path of the torrent. The expiration tugs at his hand and grips, instantaneously dispersing altogether from the environment. Not gone completely, as a gentle swirl of air remains rotating and swirling around Eren as if recognizing him.

He sucks in a breath, looking down at the perceptible stream of magic devising lazy loops around his body. _Can Levi sense me? Or does he directly feel me? How does that work?_ He’s preoccupied and intensely immersed in the exciting revelation, so he only notices the blonde woman retreat at the sound of her run. He just barely catches a glimpse of her back before she's out of view, taking advantage from the loss of Levi’s searching magic to escape.

Eren’s not going to stick around and press his luck, throwing himself into the thicket without hesitation. He moves fast, having committed the process to memory. Swing left here, jump over the foot hole, dodge the oak branch. Push past the briers with force, there’s no use avoiding it without a scratch. He continues his dance from muscle memory until he’s forced to a standstill, slack jawed at an addition to the landscape not previously retained.

 _This is new. This is… she’s been here._ Eren stands in the middle of a clearing. Due to the overly compact and treacherous landscape he’s mystified that he stands in the middle of a clearing. Redundant? Yes, but it gets the point across. This shouldn’t be here. This is man-made.

Utterly stupefied, he takes in the evenly cut branches that could only ever have been conducted with a tool. The ground is leveled by the covering of remains from shrubs he assumed were once growing in the area. What's got him completely perplexed is the location of the dismembered branches- they’ve been utilized to make a rugged dwelling. It’s crude and doleful what with the availability of material, but damn right is it resourceful. _She’s been living here_. Not for a lengthy extent, as evident by the freshness of the material. The stumps of the branches from the erect trees are still pale green and have yet to callous over. Leaves hold a droopiness that only freshly decomposing material can display.

There’s another pulse of movement, Levi’s wind magic having been trailing around his person now jutting out into his surroundings in a line. Like a string attached to a lifebuoy, it ensnares Eren around the waist and tugs him in the direction of the breeze. _Can he only connect my location to his once he finds me? Or does he know an exact geographical placement?_ The latter worries him, not wanting the man to discover the woman’s makeshift home. Even worse, Levi could spread his magic around again to detect his surroundings, and if his wind hits the structure there’s no way he’d mistake it for a tree.

Eren dutifully follows the insistent tugging created by the manipulation of air around him. It’s slow going, as Levi seems to only be pointing out a direct path, not a practical one. There are instances when Eren has to go wide around an area, or do a bit of backtracking before he can find an opening. It’s frustrating, the impatience tangible from the porcelain man as he constantly tugs and reroutes his direction in an attempt to get Eren back quicker.

He takes a breath and steels himself to ignore it. Eren knows the best route out of this brushwood, Levi will just have to swallow it and be patient. Ta

king a quick assessment of his surroundings and mentally debating the best path from here on out, he resumes his trek by turning around. Eren heads back the way he came, knowing that if he continues his present path he’d only be hit by a wall of choking vegetation. Midnight’s magic immediately attempts to pull him back, causing Eren to bite his tongue in favor of concentration. The tug is a gentle insistence, but one he can only answer by ignoring.

Levi’s reaction is prompt and breathtaking, as the ‘string’ of wind remains tied to him but his surroundings are again flooded with wind. _He’s scouting. That’s so fucking cool._ Whether it’s to ascertain the presence of danger or to get a better read on the geography of his location, his magic brings movement and life to the forest.

That is the direct cause to his disappointment when it stops. After the breeze stills completely, Eren can imagine the magic dropping to the ground in deactivation. Midnight seems to have gotten the hint, there is no more encouraging tug from the wind connected to him.

Eren backtracks as close as he dares to the man-made clearing recently discovered, lest Levi pulls another stunt like that. When he’s satisfied of an adequate leeway into a less painful path, he takes the opportunity and makes his way back to his house. Breaking through the forest line a few moments later, he’s met with the relieving sight of his grassy backyard with Armin and Mikasa already running to meet him. The link of magic leads just beyond them, where Levi calmly makes his way to join them a few paces back.


	9. Blocked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter here, it didn't fit well without becoming its own segment. Sorry for the quick read!

Eren expects nothing short of hysterics and it’s just his misfortune that accuracy proves correct. After a bone crushing bear hug from a certain strong willed beauty, and the consolation that he wasn’t in danger to a near water works blonde later, he's still staring down a long conversation.

“We couldn’t find you anywhere Eren, where did you go?”

“Tell someone you’re leaving first.”

“You can’t just wander off on your own, it’s too dangerous.”

“How far did you stray from the house? Did you get lost again?”

“Or did something happen, are you okay?”

He sedately allows his companions to bombard him with questions. Better to let them vent out their instrumentation, not that there's elbow room to get a word in edgewise. Questions are shot one after the other without pausing for a veracious reload time. The end result is a palpable silence as the verbal vomit runs dry and his friends have nothing left to heave up.

Satisfied that the onslaught is complete, Eren merely bumps his hip into Mikasa while ruffling Armin’s hair. “So,” he quirks his lips into a playful smile as she flicks him in the shoulder and Armin manages to slip out of his reach. “Which of those questions do you want me to answer first? Or- not sure they were all really questions.”

He slides his eyes between the two in an accusing manner that only manages to elicit a simple shrug from his sister. Armin at least has the good decency to appear contrite. He’ll deal with him later.

He grabs at the tail end of Mikasa’s scarf, the one he entrusted to her when they were children. She wears it around her neck consistently and for good meaning too. He uses it now as a leveraging piece since it never fails to gain her utmost attention. The material is soft and pliable from overuse, and though it had once belonged to his person it now seemed unfamiliar entirely. The garment is something that Mikasa had taken with gratitude and since made it nothing but her own. She needed a physical tie to Eren for when he couldn’t always be there in person.

Back then, it was the two of them against the world. Of course, their problems had been much smaller than that- only a tragic turn of events that was insignificant to the vast cruelty of the universe. But as children, everything seemed larger than reality. Eren gave her the will to live, in a more direct manner of speaking, Eren _was_ her will to live. Of course, things inevitably change over time. There was the addition of Armin to their makeshift family, and the expansion of friends and colleagues as they acquired more connections through age.

They’ve all transformed indefinitely since then, yet some things are never going to change. Mikasa's always content simply being at Eren’s side. Now there are gaps in their daily routines, differences that physically draw them apart out of necessity. There may not be the same deeply rooted dependency to be next to Eren, but he still mattered a great deal to her.

That’s what he’s reminding her of now, as his thumb and forefinger drift alongside the fabric. Suddenly, he tugs a few times to be annoying, to which Mikasa leans forward to swat him away. Predicting the movement and rather than jerking back to avoid the misdemeanor, he leans in and catches her in an embrace. She stills completely for a moment and before relaxing into him. He can’t see her face, but he can only guess that she’s let her guard down and hopefully appears at peace.

It's as much of a silent argument as it is solace. Eren simply confirmed he understood why she was unerringly worried, and he also reassured her no need for continued panic. He's present in the flesh and she's by his side. That is enough.

Mikasa delicately extracts herself from the hug after a few moments, but she does not move away from Eren when she stands at his side. It’s rather easy to read each other off body language alone, an apology wrapped in fear, sorry for her outburst but tepid with the situation.

“Now that the reunions over with,” Levi’s deep voice brings Eren back to the present as he leisurely caps the distance between them. He pointedly stares at the brunette for an explanation, with a tired and exasperated expression that clearly reads ‘what sort of fuckery did you just get into?’

It’s then that it dawns on Eren the last time he saw Levi was in short passing. He had just woken up and grabbed his shoes for a jog to change his daily trends. Mumbling a speedy ‘morning’ before walking out the door, Eren now realizes in contemplation that he had just ghosted the man and took off. This explains his exasperated demeanor. More troubling, is that Mikasa and Armin had already departed for work at that time. Yet, the two of them are present now.

“What time is it?” He questions as he looks between his friends for visual conformation of his concerns. “I haven’t been gone for that long, have I?”

“It’s ten in the morning,” the blonde supplies. “Something came up and we got cut early.”

Never missing a moment to seize an opportunity, Mikasa questions "how long have _you_ been gone for?"

Eren looks at Levi in disarray as he doesn’t quite know what time he left from the house. He'd woken up with a desperation for the outdoors and bee-lined for a run, glancing at a clock beforehand wasn’t in the cards.

“Three hours.” Levi deadpans, with no small hint of irritation.

“Huh.” Eren bites his lip and seeks to control his smile at the grumpy man. “But why were you two so worried, if you hadn’t known I was gone long? What if I was just taking a shit?”

There’s a choked noise coming from the ravenette that suspiciously personifies a suppressed laugh. “Eren.” It’s a gentle reprimand from Mikasa, his sarcasm is not appreciated across the board.

“What? You two haven’t let me out of your sight since you got here. It’s like you think I’m a two year old whose going to run off into traffic.”

There’s a slight grimace from Armin, more than likely resulting from the analogy rather than the accusation. Especially since his next sentence only defends himself. “It’s hard to not cross paths relatively quickly here, you’re in the middle of nowhere. When we came home and you weren’t around, the captain said he hadn’t seen you in a while. Got us worried.”

“Sorry, I went out for a jog and tripped on my face.” He shrugs nonchalantly, not wishing to draw too much attention to his blunder. “Took me a bit longer to get back.”

Levi’s eyebrows quirk as he pointedly stares in the direction of the uninviting foliage Eren had just extracted himself from. “You went for a jog. In there.”

The brunette sticks with the idea of it, not confident in correcting midnight of his commencement from the main road without digging himself in deeper. It’s necessary to obtain a chance at acquiring more information in regards to the blonde woman, knowing fully he can kiss that sentiment goodbye if any of his party is aware of her continued presence. He just shrugs sheepishly, not possessing a grand reply.

“Then you tripped.” Again, looking to the area Eren just came out of, then back to indicate ‘no shit you’d trip if you ran in that’.

“Rolled over my ankle.” His innocently sweet blonde friend makes a sympathetic ‘ouch’ noise. “Had to be a bit careful on the way back, sorry to worry everyone.” The brunette only just now notices that Levi’s magic has remained activated around him since the initial determination of his location, drawing his attention as the meandering circles pause to instead path down to his ankle.

“Are you okay?” Mikasa softly voices, scrutinizing Eren with care.

He tries to keep a straight face and not react to the light prodding of Levi’s wind currently assessing his ankle for damage. It's really not anything he'd encountered before and figures ignoring it would be the best route to dealing with it. Turning his alarmed squeak into a quick answer he sputters “yeah, all good. Not hurt, just being careful, I’m fine though!” Suppressing the idea of kicking his foot in the air to get rid of Levi’s inspection.

This earns him a few weird looks and Armin asks “Are you sure? A rolled ankle is a serious matter, you could have sprained or fractured it.”

“Yepp” with the pop of the ‘p’ at the end. “I must just be a baby to pain, couldn’t have been hurt that bad if it feels fine now.” With that he steps back a bit in discomfort and Levi finally stops inspecting him with parent-like tendencies. Which would have been a relief, except his magic simply goes back to drawing lazy swirls around Eren. _He has to know he’s doing that, right?_

“Hey Levi, I’m good now.”

Another quirk of the brow designating Levi’s signature gesture of the question ‘what?’.

“I said I’m good. I’m here and you all found me. You can drop your magic.” Immediately the frequency with which the wind has encircled his being lags to a minute pace, but it doesn’t quite sputter out. Weird looks are directed pretty evenly by all members of his entourage.

“Eren, can you sense his magic?” Armin further investigates, successfully muddling him.

“Huh? I mean, I feel it yeah. It’s just wind.” His friends seem satisfied with the response, but Levi remains placidly perturbed. The guardian drops the subject either way and reluctantly, very reluctantly with what seems like a great deal of effort, disperses his magic.

Armin’s face lights up with an epiphany. “Speaking of that, I’ve been doing a lot of research on dark magic since there’s so little known about it.”

“Why is that?” He interrupts, perplexed. “Shouldn’t you guys know about all the types of magic out there, since it’s probably like a centuries old thing?”

Another strange look. “I mean, yes magic dates back several centuries…” there’s a blatant pause as if silently asking what had led Eren’s guess. At the insistence of silence rather than an outright answer, he continues “but dark magic has been considered a myth.”

“Of course it has,” is his sarcastic response. Leave it to him to have a run in with something that allegedly doesn’t exist.

“Anyway, I was more curious of how Levi was able to block it," the blonde signals the onslaught of a lecture. Eren has spent years with the cute bastard, he instantly recognizes specific mannerisms that prelude to such an event. Armin is polite and exceedingly inquisitive to the point where he finds everything interesting. A quick dismissive statement like ‘anyway’ or ‘to get to the point’ indicates plenty of forethought weighing on the coconut head’s mind that he wishes to promptly dispel.

“There are a lot of inconsistencies when extracting data from old lore and folk tales. So much so, I questioned the credibility of the sources and was quite frustrated of wasting my time. However, there are a few concepts that carry over between _most_ of the stories. Dark magic cannot effect physical objects and is subjective only to the living.” There’s a pause to ensure that his audience is following.

“Now, we know it can damage people. But humans are not the only living beings on the planet. There are some accounts of particularly strong mages controlling animals, transforming them to the point where they turn into something else entirely. I find it curious that there are no accounts on the possibility of manipulating the plant world, but I digress.”

“I… pulled a few strings.” He looks to Levi now with wide eyes as if afraid of getting reprimanded. “I have a friend who works in the Archives,” his hands get more expressive and hasten his gesticulation, “but I didn’t give them any information!” This last part is enunciated by a crossing of his hands to form an ‘X’. “They’re used to my strange requests and didn’t push to inquiry. I required more publications than what was available online and as you know the Archives is the most credible in terms of the magic realm.”

Eren gives off a quiet “pshh” to indicate that indeed, he does not know.

Armin smiles at Eren for his childish mannerisms and heartily sets about his explanation. “There are many branches of the government system that guide magic users globally. All of these branches are headed by a powerful group of people known as The Embassy. You can liken this to the equivalent of a political hierarchy. Under The Embassy are different factions that are divided based on specialization. The Survey Corps, for example, are like the special forces. The Military Police, are, well, the police.” He grimaces at the lame introduction but presses on nonetheless. “The Archives are equal parts a historical collection and research division, like a museum with a bunch of scientists who study the artifacts.”

“Everything that already exists in the real world, but better?” Eren helpfully summarizes.

“Yes! But also, no. Because magic is still a part of the real world, yet most people only know about it if they have magic capabilities.”

“Oh.” It comes across as disappointment though Eren feels far from it. The lower tone formulates from deep contemplation rather than the sentiment of being left out. _Why is Armin in the Survey Corps?_ A special forces unit, a setting in which he can easily see Mikasa and Levi striving. But now with the knowledge of other branches in this ‘magical realm’ it doesn’t add up. This creates a question that continually nags at him; w _hy isn’t Armin in the Archives?_

Mikasa sends him a questioning look but he doesn’t meet her eyes. The less interruptions when the cute blonde chomps his mental teeth onto a subject the better.

The coconut head seems to second the suasion as he politely brushes over the awkward pause. “There’s a book… a scientific study on the magical properties of an unknown power known simply as darkness. It’s difficult. Far-fetched and convoluted from the language barrier of another century.”

Levi has remained silent during this conversation, listening to Armin’s points and passively standing by through his cerebration to Eren. Now, he immediately gains the attention of his subordinates by a simple “tch.” Mikasa and Armin snap to a quick soldiers solute, one arm behind the back and the other forming a fist at the heart.

“That alludes to an item with restricted access.” Grey eyes cut daggers at the sheepish blonde who begins to turn pale under the glare. “I suppose this was the work of shitty eyes?”

“I- they, uhm. Yes, sir. Captain Hanji, I mean, sir.” Armin sputters out a reply.

“Hm.” There’s no further comment, but the glare has not lessened.

Armin presses on with determination despite the subtle crack of fear in his articulation. “This book alluded to dark mages not possessing magic at all, but rather, a scientific link to the ability. Magic is so far unexplained, and there are no physical attributes or evidence that justify some of the capabilities people can expend. This book set out to prove a scientific connection… and it is easily described as far-fetched and miraculously flawed. But still, I think it’s onto something. The author’s theory summarized the ability spawned from dark magic to be a direct manipulation of the soul. Which would explain why it only effected things that were alive. But, the existence of a soul, along with anything spiritual, is not scientifically excepted. Thus, we hit a conundrum.”

Armin appears lost in the roller coaster of his head, tepidly climbing to some mental accumulation of a hypothesis before the evidence piles up to plummet him down into a single expletive. Except it becomes sidetracked, hits a cork screw that flips upside down, and then proceeds to pummel over many bumps just to see if it will survive the bombardment. In other words, we’ve all lost the blonde. He’s entertaining a plethora of methodical possibilities in his mind, but has forgotten the current number of people awaiting a revelation.

“Oi.” Levi breaks Armin from his cognitive emulsion. “That’s a shitty lesson plan, what the fuck did we learn?”

“Ah! Sorry! My point is that we don’t know how the magic works, but we know that it certainly causes bodily harm to people. So, how were you able to survive a direct hit? Not that I’m _not_ glad you did! It just doesn’t add up.” There’s a quiet contemplation over the severity of Armin’s words, but no answer develops. “Did you do something different with your magic?” He prods to helpfully steer the rumination.

“Barely used it.” Levi comments.

“Right, I’m assuming it’s because your magic did nothing in the face of the darkness. Which holds a bit of dark magic theory true, we now know that at least. Yet, how do we accept that you were able to block because of something you did versus a wrong theory?”

“It’s not something he did. It just is.” There’s a stilted pause, everyone holding their breath and turning to Eren in abatement.

“What do you mean?” His cute friend presses for an answer.

Eren gestures with his hands a quick wave around Levi to indicate something surrounding him. “Yanno, it’s just- that thing.” He hadn’t noticed it at first and he didn’t think he would have ever noticed if it wasn’t for Levi’s magic. The constant movement of his wind has grown familiar over time and it became easier to pick out the use of other magical disturbances around him. Mikasa has some sort of deep purple miasma swirling around her, concentrated at her core and neatly constrained to her body. It does not seep out into the environment like the blonde woman’s had, nor has he observed her sending the substance outward as Levi is capable of doing.

It was likened to a game of eye spy after that. There was a reflection in his peripherals every time he glanced away from Levi. At first, his mind connected it to an indistinct blob seemingly silver in tone. As he concentrated more on determining the new apparition, it started to take a definitive shape. Now, it's clearly a white barrier scripted with silver hieroglyphics. Eren doesn’t know much about magic, but he would feel pretty confident in calling it a shield.

He’s rewarded for his comment by vacuous stares. There’s a few blinking of the eyes and tentative glances that sweep too wide around Levi to be correctly perceiving the shield in question. Eren is quick to become peeved, beyond tired of the constant fettering with no one taking him serious. He huffs and walks away, facing the house as his target destination. The trellis and stone platform that welcome visitors into the backyard appear a Lilliputian fortress at this length. He could merely distinguish a few specks of lavender buds as the wisteria vine showcases a sneak peak of its bloom.

Mikasa is spry to catch up, sidling near his side and falling into step effortlessly. “Eren. We honestly can’t see what you’re referring to.” She bumps her shoulder against his in an oddly consoling manner. Odd, because he can’t put his finger on why Mikasa would feel the need to console him. “Please enumerate,” she requests in the sweetly small voice of hers.

He blinks peculiarly at her a few times and in his extraction of vision from the building in front of him he easily detects people in his peripherals. _That’s strange._ “See what?” He appraises the two figures in a quick sweep, satisfied it's just Levi and Armin bringing up the flank. Having his focus in their direction makes it easy to pick out the winces among his friends at his question. _What did I miss?_

Mikasa's grown stiff beside him, justifying his concern that something is awry. “Eren… can you describe anything unusual around Levi?”

He draws his eyebrows together, successfully baffled by the turn to this conversation. _Wait, what conversation?_ Either way, his friends are waiting expectantly and he determines no harm in answering. Glancing around, he doesn’t find anything particularly noteworthy to arise such a question.

“It’s just Levi.”

“Is there something around him?” It’s out of character for Mikasa to continue to press, especially since it equates to continued verbal confrontation. _I’ve forgotten something again, haven’t I?_

“No… is there supposed to be? I’m lost.”

There’s an atmosphere of sadness, Armin and Mikasa slightly drooping in disappointment at his response. Levi, on the other hand, seems to take whatever just occurred in stride. He simply walks up to Eren with his face as passively unreadable as ever, accompanied by his usual unapproachable edge. “Come on brat,” he continues to tread past Eren towards the house.

It’s a reposeful affair from there on, his friends seem occupied with their own cognition and he’s reluctant to interrupt. Opting for his bedroom, Eren heads directly for the stairs to procure a change of clothes. As he slides out of his shirt and turns on the tap from his bathroom, the cold water assists to narrow his train of thought. _It’s uncanny, what occurred back there._

He possesses complete understanding that certain segments of his past cannot be recalled. Well, more along the criteria that he isn’t aware it should exist. Once something is mentioned in association with what would have normally referred to a memory, Eren can determine some truth in the matter. The memory does not come flooding back and it doesn’t feel like the latter causes a sentiment of amiss. It’s like whatever is going on in his head, he can ghost over his past without hindering his current endeavors.

It’s reassuring, in a way. He’s not completely a blank sheet. But what just occurred a few moments earlier frightens him. It’s one thing to accept gaps in the past, it’s another entirely to loose reference to events occurring within the same day. Mikasa asked him a question, one that sourced from the conversation they were still partaking of, meaning he'd lost information too quickly. This is bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Mikasa's story of how they met is cannon. Not sure I'll touch on it more than what's alluded in this chapter.


	10. The Roll of the Die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I see Armin excelling at everything so easily in life that he derails pretty quickly when things go wrong. But he'll always be a cutie!

Eren stares back at his reflection in the mirror. The somber face and the vibrant green eyes full of uncertainty are irrefutably himself. Yet, he isn’t looking at his person. Not really, it's just what was left of him. Who he was before, that stood undefined and he’s determined to get answers in the cloud of incertitude. With this new knowledge that his mishaps no longer occur in a finite time span, well, he can’t do this by himself anymore.

It had been luck in his book that sent Levi to intercept the first attack. It had been misfortune that his friends discovered his current situation, not wanting to drag them into it. Now, he’s thinking it may be all too coincidental to not have some small connection with destiny. He needed them without the enlightenment of the knowledge, and with todays newfound revelation it makes too much sense not to refuse their help.

The white noise of water splashing against the porcelain basin of the sink ultimately urges him to halt the tap. It’s eerily quiet in its wake, so Eren extracts himself from the bathroom. He pads over to the monolithic closet and grabs a fresh set of clothes, thanking Armin for his forethought of bringing the articles back with him after a trip to the apartment. Donning the clean fabric and then descending the stairs, he pauses for a brief moment to discern any activity occurring below. Crickets aren’t even present in the silence of his house.

He runs his fingers along the Gothic style staircase and bites his lip in contemplation as he makes his way to the lower story. He can’t predict what the future conversation will hold with his friends, but he’s dead sure there’s one awaiting him downstairs. His foot hovers over the precipice of the last step before ground zero. As much as he doesn’t want to do this, he knows he should talk.

There’s no ambush waiting for him in the foyer, and from his current view of the parlor the detection of people is negative. He makes a go for the kitchen. They’re all there, sitting around the island seemingly absorbed in their own universe. Armin’s got his notes out and is fervently writing, positioned with his back facing away from the entrance. Mikasa’s beside him, gracefully reading from a novel. Sitting across from the two of them and facing the direction of the foyer, Levi taps away at his laptop.

 _Yeah, this is a trap._ People have a tendency to call him a suicidal bastard and he can say that it’s not entirely unjustified.

He raps on the wall of the entryway as he passes the threshold to the kitchen just for good measure, at the very least nobody can say they caught him off guard. Mikasa doesn’t turn around but dog ears her place on the page. Armin makes a mad scribble of lines and connecting dots to formulate where his thoughts were going before setting the pen still.

Levi types away without the slightest hint of discontinuing his progress. _I take it midnight’s ring leading this one._ It only makes sense, the others appear to be waiting for his acknowledgment. So Eren makes his way to the kitchen island and pulls out a seat directly across from Levi, all the while openly eyeing him. It may be a passive aggressive approach, but it does have its advantage. Here he’s closest to the window and it’s clearly visible from his peripherals. If he’s got to bite the bullet and do something he doesn’t wish to do, at least he’s got some scenery while doing it. _The small things in life, right?_

Armin grips his pen tighter and Mikasa stands up straighter, all subtle movements not to be advertised, but they’re uncomfortable with the way Levi is dragging it out. Neither of the two have ever been procrastinators and they share the same cut throat tendency to get to the point. Eren merely leans back in a show of comfort while never taking his eyes off the ravenette. After a few minutes of this continued suspense there’s finally a pause in the typing, only for Levi to reach down for the mug resting on the counter beside him. After picking it up he frowns and gives it a gentle shake, narrowing his eyes upon the discovery of the empty container.

This is the exact moment when Eren comes to the conclusion the conversation will only erupt into argument. Eren’s been nothing but uncooperative since Levi began his stay, and just so happened to start the morning out on a bright note by taking off without a word. Now he’s purposely riled Levi, strutting in with all the confidence in the world and staring at him in a saucy manner to signify ‘you done yet?’. Finally, the man’s out of tea. He tends to appreciate his tea.

Levi sets the mug back down on the counter with a reverberating ‘thunk’ and his eyes snap up to meet Eren’s. After acquiring their target, the gunmetal grey orbs narrow in ire. “We need to lay some ground rules.” It still manages to shock Eren each time he speaks. The low vibrato and tenaciously deep tone fit his personality well, but the stature of height and lean musculature is at opposing ends. Coupled with the sharpness to which Levi always dresses, it truly creates an intimidating personage. Eren swallows but continues to remain silent.

“First, you’re not to go unsupervised.”

The brunette begins to protest, but Levi slices through his argument. “Someone needs to be within your vicinity at all times” his eyes are steel and it prevents Eren from rebuttal entirely.

“Secondly, you are to report to me before taking decision making into your own hands.” Levi is sitting a decent couple feet away with a countertop in-between them, but somehow it feels he's inches away within the tangible intimidation. “That entails a general idea of your whereabouts,” he pauses for effect to drive the point home at his next comment “and prevents you from frolicking off to every asinine whim that passes through your dull fucking brain.”

It’s very easy to feel small under the piercing glare of the captain of the Survey Corps. Eren supposes Levi is capable of threatening a great deal of cadets reporting under him. Hell, he’s sure the ravenette threatens even those above his stature without concern. This is mainly due to the fact that it’s not an empty threat. He’s seen Levi fight and Eren would never wish to be on the opposing side, the guardian earned his current position with no shortage of talent and hard work. It would make it easy, so very easy, for a person to consciously coincide with such restrictions out of the fear of what disobeying would bring. For Eren, he acknowledges the threat currently faced, but he’s never been one to lie down when it comes to freedom. Nobody is meant to be controlled and free will is a given right. It's this anger that washes away the sensible fear and instead fills him with determination.

Levi is highly perceptive to the change in demeanor, though not visible from the outer surface. His wind magic pleats dangerously around him in sporadic sheets. The speed at which it travels accelerates and the tail end of the wind tapers out in wisps to look as if it were dissolving and reappearing in intensity.

“And if I refuse to meet your ground rules?” The choler fuels his momentum to speak out, but it’s not entirely irrational. He’s spent the last couple days in the man’s company, Levi doesn’t need his magic to be intimidating and he’d never exercise restricted activity against a non-magic user. Besides, he’s perfectly capable of subduing Eren through physical force alone.

That’s why Eren’s come to the conclusion midnight must be subconsciously using his magic. Especially with the hostile manner it’s wrapping around him and whipping outwards to disperse into the environment. Levi doesn’t waste time with warnings, he expects people to take him seriously the first time around. He doesn’t exactly hold back either, and to enact effort into utilizing his magic while curbing all damage- that doesn’t sound like Levi. The ravenette's magic isn’t meant as a threat, merely a reflection of his attitude.

“If that’s the case, then I’ll take my leave. I have no interest in protecting a civilian who cannot abide by some manner of self-preservation.”

The latter sentence can’t help but make Eren feel some sort of prosperity, as he'd pegged the stoic man correctly. Levi never had any intention to fight Eren. On the thought of fighting, he can recall several incidences in which the two have gone into a bicker. Hell, he regularly picks a fight for fun, and Levi does not fit the type to tolerate that under normal circumstances.

“If you thought it were that simple you would have left already.” Eren doesn’t say it as a comeback, it’s not meant for offense. The statement of their current predicament only enumerates the level of difficulty, as Eren openly admits to knowledge of interest from a third party. Levi won’t drop the case because someone assigned him to it. _Maybe it gives him a lean in to pursue a connected crime to his assailant?_ He’s not sure.

Either way, Levi’s stance is clear before it’s voiced, as the choppy wind buffeting against him softens to a tame circle and continues its lazy spiral. Like earlier in the yard, it still does not detach entirely from Eren’s person. _Is he actively aware he keeps doing that, or does he just not care that Eren notices?_

“Then why don’t we try to keep it simple, at least as conducive as possible.” Levi says this with a slight smirk, as if he enjoys the mental game the brunette occasionally throws at him.

That’s a little easier to deal with, Eren’s always been hard headed. He responds to anger with anger, but as soon as the negative sentiment is suppressed by the opposing party he doesn’t begrudge it. He just reacts to what he’s given to work with. Eren supposes it's better to start his acquiescence with a bit of haggling. “First, at least one person can remain on the property at all times, but nobody's gonna hold my hand while I take a piss.” He gauges Levi’s reaction, and recognizing the amused expression presses on. “Second, I’ll let you or whoever is in the vicinity know when I leave. Good?”

“What you’re alluding to without pointing out the obvious for refute, is that you will come and go as you please. Correct?” Okay, he’s not imagining it, midnight faerie is outright smirking. It’s fucking _terrifying_.

Jesus Christ something must have short circuited in his brain because he’s finding this conflict oddly attractive. _Is it legal to even smirk like that?_ It’s not meant to entice, akin to a feral grin, but coupled with the calling of his tricky wording it's downright calefactive. “You caught me,” he grins back and amends his strategy. “Fine, third rule. I’ll consult with you before undergoing anything dangerous.” _If I don’t have the definitive what I’m doing will irrefutably result in danger, then I’m not required to bring it to anyone’s attention._

“Hm, little better. Not there yet.” Levi places his elbows on the countertop and clasps his hands together to rest at his chin. Strategically done, as it’s instinctive human nature to catch movement. Once Eren finishes following the line of sight from his arms to his face, Levi locks eyes with him and nods in Mikasa’s direction. “Report to her.”

 _Fuck. He’s dealing with a goddamn sociopath. An intelligent, attractive, grumpy sociopath._ Eren is incredibly pissed and equally impressed at the same time and it’s brutally confusing. By diverting responsibility to Mikasa, he’s effectively sealed off any manner of tricking his way through a situation. He can’t take advantage of his practically blood sister. Even if he tried to lie, she’d know. What’s worse, if he happened to go to Mika with anything that started with danger, the incontrovertible answer would be ‘no’. He closes his eyes and grimaces, knowing fully that dodging this negotiation will only prove he's is shooting for loopholes. It’s better to make them think they have the upper hand. He’s still got one card up his sleeve with the wording, he won’t have to go through Mikasa unless he’s making a suicidal decision. Unfortunately, that’s how Eren tends to operate. Guess he’ll have to adjust. 

“Deal.” He addresses Mikasa and meets her wrathful stare, as he was very clearly just wincing at the idea of having to report to her.

“Hm,” is the only acknowledgement Levi gives before shuffling around a few papers beside his laptop and acquiring a pen. “That brings us to our next order of business- we’re not making headway on turning up information.”

There’s an audible intake of breath from the direction of Armin. “Actually sir, I’ve pulled a number of resources on magic licenses and facial profiling to run through the database. It’ll take some time to come up with a positive ID, but if we can pull up a name from her description-”

“The dark mage won’t be in the database,” Levi interjects.

“But sir, obviously she won’t be registered as a dark mage. She’ll use a cover magic that’s similar-”

“Armin,” Mikasa delicately interrupts. “She’s not in the database. Dark magic doesn’t exist, therefore she does not.”

There’s a widening of bright blue innocent eyes as it clicks, his soulfully cute friend doesn’t have the grounds to think like a villain. The myth of darkness has been unproven to this day not because it's been hiding in plain sight, but because the users themselves don’t exist in society. 

“And you?” Levi questions Mikasa.

“It’s been too long, the case has gone cold. Besides, I can’t track a person who reportedly teleported.” Levi remains staring, pressing for further information. “The only choice would be to heat it up again,” her eyes and tone are cold and unforgiving “and I’m not risking Eren’s life to draw her out.”

“Tsk.” He leans back, hand fixing the cuff of his sleeve. “New recruits indeed.”

This gets a rise out of Mikasa, though she’d never act on it unless physically provoked. She straightens in her seat and clamps her hand on her scarf in anger, glaring daggers at her captain. “Are you suggesting an experienced officer would willingly sacrifice Eren as bait?”

“I’m suggesting you’re both constituent to rookie mistakes.”

Armin appears grim and Mikasa tentatively looks at Eren to ensure he isn’t about to leap in her defense to tear out Levi’s throat. Her maddened demeanor turns to surprise as she assesses Eren’s peaceful conduct.

He shrugs at her quizzical expression. “Just listen, he’s right.”

This has Armin shooting up in his seat in astonishment and leaning over the counter, practically half crawling on it to get closer. “Eren! You’ve figured something out? How?!”

He lowers his eyes from the excited fervor of his blonde companion. “It’s not like I can escape it,” comprises his quiet answer. “It’s because it _is_ me.”

At this Armin cocks his head to the side like an adorable puppy trying to chew over the words. Mikasa is silent beside him, face unreadable, but he doesn’t think she’s come to the right conclusion yet. 

“You’re both chasing the wrong information,” Levi finishes in the silence. “You’re searching for the woman to pull substance, you should instead be searching the ties right in front of you.”

“Eren doesn’t know anything about her,” Armin concedes.

“That’s not the right question to ask.” At this point, his bright minded coconut head looks frustrated. Not at Levi, the guardian’s goal isn’t to antagonize him. _No bullshit attitude, remember?_ Levi is running Armin through the fox hole in a teachable moment. He’s surprisingly good at it. Which is a strange sentence in itself, because Levi is good at everything. He just doesn’t like to be good with people. But here he is taking the time to let Armin draw his own conclusions and lead him to the right questions without outright saying them. He’s teaching Armin the process to acquiring the answer, rather than the resolution itself. _It’s endearing._

The blonde genius won’t take the mental leap because of emotions, that’s what Levi means about working with rookies. Armin's put so much faith and trust in Eren that he won’t question his very own friend. “Armin, where are we right now?” Eren decides to throw him a bone.

“Uh… your house? Is that too direct, or were you looking for a geographic boundary? Political?” He’s upset. Armin is usually the first in the know and he can tell the blonde is second guessing his abilities now that more people have clued in before him.

“My house,” he verifies. “Who was attacked?”

Armin’s hand loosens around his pen, the object falling to the floor with no shortage of dramatics. “Stupid," he clenches at his hair. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.” He draws his knees up closer to his chest and releases the locks in exchange of a self hug. “We’re on the defensive, not the offensive. We’re all in this house to protect Eren, not chase after the dark mage. It doesn’t make sense, why hunt for information on the enemy? It’s not why we’re here. Hunt for her motives, why did she attack Eren? If we know that we can determine whether Eren was the target or if there was another objective. Then we’d understand if she’d strike again and at what lengths she's prepared to fight with.” He takes a moment to catch his breath and extricates his arms from around his legs. “It’s still a dead end. We don’t know any connections because we don’t know anything about the woman.”

“We don’t need a link from the dark mage, there’s one connection we can draw from Eren. We start with that.” Levi finally intercedes, having let Armin conduct his personal freak out. “Dr. Jaeger.”

Mikasa swivels her head around to Levi, having been on the verge of comforting Armin. “What does Eren’s father have to do with this?”

“It’s not common knowledge, but the Survey Corps appointed many officials to go undercover in the past. We sent the majority in the underground to keep track of criminal activity. Ten years ago, they stopped coming back and we had no choice but to cease all undercover operations. We don’t send soldiers to their deaths, that’s an execution not an order.”

An edgy scraping noise interrupts Levi’s explanation as the blonde jumps down and moves his chair to retrieve the lost pen. Once the target is obtained, he sits partially in his chair with one leg practically hanging off in haste. Furious scribbles then make up the rest of the noisy disruption as he jots down what was said.

The writing utensil eventually stills, Levi taking the silence that accompanies it as que to continue. “People make a living off information, selling it without taking a side. Of course, they can turn around and sell the fact that we were looking. They don’t necessarily operate under the law, but we were backed into a corner. The most we were able to get were reports of an underground operation spearheaded by an infamous criminal. Dr. Jaegar was said to have been sighted many times with them.” There’s an oddly prolonged pause as if Levi is contemplating finishing there or continuing. “Informants have since refused to sell to the Survey Corps.”

Mikasa’s face is carefully concealed as she rebuttals the captain, “Eren works with his father. He would know if he were cohorts in a felonious group.”

The slender raise of the eyebrow implies Levi believes they still are not getting the point he's attempting to lead them to make. “You both take everything at face value. Stop throwing emotions into this and listen up, I’m not driving this point home again.”

There’s more cacography from Armin as he prepares a header for the upcoming notes he's about to jot down.

“You won’t question your only resource, because you assume a direct level of trust that he'll outright tell you without prompting.” Midnight narrows his eyes at Mikasa and angles his head in the direction of Eren to bite out “ask him.”

Attention is directed towards Eren as Mikasa appears perturbed by Levi’s remark. Her brows are slightly pinched and her warm brown eyes contain marginally concealed worry, but it pains him to still see the bit of hope portrayed. He doesn’t exactly lie to his friends, but he can’t say he tells them everything. Now, while being faced with the direct question of whether he knows if his father's involved in criminal activity, he can’t say he doesn’t have an answer. Some things he just knows, memory impaired or not.

He diverts his eyes, not being able to look them directly in the face. Good thing he'd forethought his position, as he opts to observe the scenery beyond the window instead. It offers some form of serenity, enough to slow the mad beat of his heart marginally enough to speak. “It’s true.”

The reaction of surprise is comically the same between the two, Armin covers his mouth after it drops open and Mikasa draws her hand up to her chest as if comforting her heart.

“I can’t tell you much. Maybe if you ask the right question it would trigger something.” He shrugs nonchalantly, as the topic of his memory situation is never fun to continually address.

“Perhaps that’s something we should look into. For now, I’d like to deal with our current train of thought.” Midnight presses on, determined to not let the distraction between his close companions derail them from progress. Directing the last bit of his point at Eren, he continues his debriefing. “I attribute your attack to the blood connection with your father. However, Dr. Jaegar hasn’t been sighted by our soldiers in the last three months. His current whereabouts are unknown, leaving it hard for us to obtain information from him. I believe you’re the only person who can contact him, will you do it?”

The wording of Levi’s question does not fall short on Eren. He understands that teaming with the Survey Corps would mean not just talking with his father, but bringing him into custody as an alleged criminal. It’s not the implications that bother him, rather the unspoken gauging for Eren’s reaction. Midnight wants to know who’s side he’s playing for, begetting some level of doubt in Eren’s character. _I suppose it can’t be helped. Though it seems easy enough to be familiar with each other, we are both still strangers in the end._

He sighs deeply before offering “I can’t.”

Levi's eyelids flutter slightly closed and he stills as if disappointed. “And why not?”

“Dad’s dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fitting ending for mile marker Chapter 10! Woohoo, I've still got a loongg way to go. Hopefully some things have become more apparent as I produce content... and other's more confuddling. I'll be (slowly) introducing new characters from this point on, and focus on gaining answers to this mystery.


	11. Heart to Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellloooo-
> 
> Sorry for the missed update. I'm going to be switching to bi-weekly uploads from now on. But hey, who knows I might throw in some extra chapters when I feel inspired ;)

The olfactory intake of mildew coupled with the particulate dust both buoyantly airborne and in accumulated settlements encourage his hand to fetch the handkerchief from his pocket. They move of their own accordance to protectively cover his face from the filth. Crinkled and chipping leather rotting from the ages of time fill the numerous shelves of literature. Echoes of his footsteps reverberating on deaf ears of inanimate objects- all these surroundings currently amass Levi’s sense datum. The Archives were never a choice favorite, as the contents of the building are disgustingly foul.

The soiled air derives as much from the lack of cleanliness as it does from its proximity under the earth. Situated several feet under the base story of an abandoned church, there was never any hope of ridding the vicinity from the damp odor likened to a basement. The literal layers of dust and grit- that is a mere disgrace. It fits the personality of the owner of this revolting collection, as he thinks of the filthy woman having dirt as a permanent occupant under her fingernails.

He shudders at the thought, wondering how often she bathes. _If at all._ Passing the twelfth stand of bookshelves, he banks an immediate left to a sparsely illuminated portion of the library. Rounding the backside of a stunted and oddly misshaped ledge, his vision catches the subtle reflection of light on a black staircase. Pulling out a secondary handkerchief ( _yes he came prepared_ ), he uses it as a makeshift glove to put distance between his hand and the railing. With a tentative grip, he winds the spiraling staircase in almost complete darkness.

He’s aware of reaching the top by a bright crack of light illuminating the bottom of a door. The only sign of life in this dank and dreary place betrays the residency of the woman just beyond the reaches of this entryway. He opens the door a notch with the fabric in his hands before shaking it off and folding it into a neat square. After securing it to his pocket once again, he ties the other cloth around his face to free his hands completely. Only then does he feel primed for an encounter with shitty eyes.

He nudges the door the remainder of the way open with the toe of his boot and enters. One would think the office of the Provisioner of the Archives would entail a higher level of immaculate order. Instead, the space is cast into more disheveled chaos than the library. Rest assured, the filth is ever present. When given more to work with than just rows of shelves, Captain Hange gets creative with the degree to which she can turn things to shit. Her desk is coffee stained and covered in layers of documents and objects. The floor is no exception even to the coffee stains. There are random stacks of books on the ground despite the distinctly empty shelves lining the wall, clearly defunct of their purpose.

Most irritating to Levi are the relics floating in a suspension spell haphazardly cast about the room. They are not confined to a particular area, nor are they designated an out of the way corner. No, it would make the utmost sense for these objects to be strewn about in a completely random distribution that makes navigating the office tiresome. As if she were purposefully attempting to _piss him off_ , each relic is floating at a different height than the next. A few are mere inches above the floor ( _what is the goddamn point?_ ) and the rest are anywhere in-between, as long as the position enabled a chance for a person to smack headlong into it.

He can’t tune out the necrotic mumbling any longer and turns to locate the source. The mop of messy hair, half ensnared in a pony tail, gives away her position as she belatedly talks to herself. Her back is to him and she’s standing on a teetering stack of books for a makeshift step stool. The messy bob continually pulls down volumes from a large cabinet, inspects the cover, then promptly returns it or chucks it to the ground. After the third or fourth ‘thump’ of material unceremoniously dismissed, her mumbling gets louder and the force of her throw stronger.

A book whizzes inches past his face and slams against the wall behind him. “OI. SHITTY EYES,” he roars with fuming anger.

She straightens and begins to turn, except the stack of books she wittingly utilized to prop her up protest the movement. Her platform shakes and she swings her arms out in windmills to regain purchase. He expects her to fall, he _hopes_ she'll fall, but the platform stills. _Bloody traitor,_ he thinks as he glares at the stack.

In her mad dash for stability at crooked equilibrium she is stuck frozen, half turned towards him with her back hunched and her arms partially outstretched to oddly bend at the elbows. The resulting look is one of a complete creep, especially enunciated by the reflection of light taking up the entirety of her glasses.

“Levi!” She shrieks like a banshee after getting over her initial shock of almost toppling over. “I didn’t know you were coming!”

“If you had stopped your fucking mumbling and payed attention to your surroundings, you would have noticed me earlier.” He glares at her with all the anger of someone who was nearly decapitated by accident.

“Good to see you’re still a grumpy old man- AHHHH!” She cries out as he pulls one book from her stack stool to send her falling. She lands on her ass with a satisfying ‘thwack’ that softens the crease to Levi’s brow in appreciation.

“Pshh. Psh. Psssssssssshhhhhh.” The ridiculous sounds coming from the tangled mess on the floor is the direct result of her attempting to blow hair out of her eyes.

He makes a noise of disgust in her direction, to which she jumps up in enthusiasm. “Levi, it really has been a while. What’s enraptured your attention to keep you so?”

“It doesn’t take much. Any distance is preferred to none.” He snidely replies in monotone.

“Aww, you don’t really mean that! You love me you grumpy lil’ thing you.” She takes to grabbing his face with both hands and pushing his cheeks together while making awful childish noises.

He’s extremely thankful for his forethought to tie the handkerchief around his face, though he slaps her hands away and makes a mental note to shower when he gets home. _Well, more like back to Eren’s place._ He’s allowed her enough time to reacquaint so he cuts straight to it, "short blonde cadet with the baby face. You gave him a restricted book.”

“Oh, don’t go all by the book with me Levi,” she pouts and then jabs him a few times in his side with her elbow. He doesn’t react to her antics, so as always she takes it a step further. Lifting her eyebrows up and down in a grotesque manner she urges “eh, ehhhh, get the pun?”

He punches her in the shoulder. Hard.

“Ow.” Hange rubs at the afflicted limb and pouts for a moment. Her expression slowly transgresses to serious and she drops her cradling hands.

_Good, now they’re actually going to get somewhere._

“Why are you here Levi? Armin was looking into dark mages… harmless enough. He’s always had an insatiable hunger for knowledge despite its relevance. Couple that with your involvement and there’s usually more harm than foul.”

He remains quiet because she's hit the nail on the head.

“Looking for material? As much as you can’t seem to stay away from me,” she winks at him. _Gross._ “I know you never visit an old friend for fun. What can I help you with?”

He audibly sighs and crosses his hands over his chest. Regardless of her unusual methods, Captain Hange is highly respected for obtaining results. Her extremely out of the box thinking has its practicalities.

“I need a lead.”

“And you think I have one?” She openly voices her shock. It’s not everyday Levi comes to her for advise.

“I’m hoping you have it. This really is my last resort.” He refuses to make eye contact to give her the gratification.

Her mouth twists into a creepy baby-eating grin and she beckons with her hand. “Come, come Levi. Follow momma Hange with all her sagely advise.” She struts up to her desk with glee and with one arm promptly swats all the contents to the floor.

“Tsk,” he comments with more distaste. Her pursuance to disorder irks him beyond no means. He is aware to what degree she accomplishes this on purpose as she positively beams at him.

Hange walks around her desk to a mountain of junk and grabs a wooden leg. In one quick motion, she yanks and half the objects fall to the ground, revealing a chair. After plopping it next to Levi she resumes her position on the other side of the desk. “Okay, where do we begin?” She hunches over with her elbows resting on the desk as if she's transformed into a hyena stalking its prey.

“First, never refer to yourself as ‘momma’ again.” This gets a silly grin out of her. “Or I’ll break your fucking arm." There it is, the grin fades immediately.

“Second, how much time do you have?” This isn’t going to be a quick catch up. The past week has thrown too many left sided concepts and unbelievable revelations at him that he can’t skim over it with a quick summary. Every little point leads to more questions and Hange is especially good with questions. It is her job as a researcher, after all.

~~

Hange is eccentric, sporadic, and unpredictable. She’s excited by gore, revels in mystery, and doesn’t hesitate to walk the fine boundary between science and humanity. Above all else, she’s reliable. It takes madness to deal with the unspeakable evils of this world. Hange makes sacrifices everyday to protect the very humanity she wagers within herself. How far is one willing to go for answers? How dark can one get before they are no longer working for a force of good? He’s aware of how often she treads this line like a tight rope, holding onto morality like a life buoy in the fringe of darkness.

She may not be the cleanest of people, and she may not have the world’s most award winning personality, but she is an earnest friend to him. The way she sits now, her face contorted in rue with her hands grasping the table in a vice to display white knuckles, he’s reminded of the absolute trust he’s placed in her. For all her light joking and flippant manner, she simply uses it to mask the pain of the world she’s been exposed to. When bark turns to bite, Hange becomes a ferocious opponent fit to befall enemies. She does hold many of the secrets of the world in that brain of hers, it comes with sole propriety of the Archives. A heavy burden to bear, but one that she wears with honor.

“Erwin’s ordered you to this case.” She glances up from her reprieve in a stoically striking manner.

“Mhm.”

“It was already yours to begin with- technically. Pretentious bastard.” This gets a laugh out of Levi. A real laugh, deep and soulful without fear of holding back. That’s one of the reasons he loves Hange so much, she says what she means and she doesn’t hold back.

“Still, I don’t like his level of interest in this boy.” The messy mop stares him down as she says it, a nonverbal communication translating to be careful.

Erwin instructed Levi to protect the kid, Hange thinks Levi needs to protect the kid from the commander. She may be right, Captain America wasn’t anything but unhinged upon mentioning the brunette.

Shitty glasses sighs and halfheartedly picks at the edges of a few worn pages by her desk. “And Pixis… I do believe this boy may be at the heart of the corruption in The Embassy.”

He presses his lips into a grim line, having come to the same conclusion as well.

“He confirmed it?”

Levi tilts his head in question, not following her train of thought.

“Eren. You said he validated Grisha’s work with Kenny.” She stops her idle play with the paper and resumes complete attention. “The kid sounds more witty than he lets on, what was the wording of the question? I need to make sure if we’re dealing with half truths.”

“He confirmed it. There was no question, I made the statement and he agreed.”

She brings her hand up to her chin in an inquisitive manner and takes a few moments to sort her thoughts. Reaching some sort of finish line with her musing, she adjusts her glasses to just the right angle where it reflects light. Looking toward Levi in that alarming manner, she leans over the desk with a personage of solemnity. “There’s one more thing I need to know. It’s crucial to fitting the pieces together.”

He eyes her in wary regard and nods for her to continue.

“What does he look like?” Hange’s head dips lower like a predator stalking its prey.

“You think you’ve encountered him before?”

“I won’t know unless you describe him.”

He sighs. Guess there’s no way around, it is a pretty basic task. “Tall, young, skinny- well, lean. There’s some bit of muscle to him. Brown hai-, shit, scratch that. Kind'a brown kind'a red? When it hits the sun. Oh yeah, and tan.”

Hange places a hand on the desk to further inch closer to Levi. It noticeably distracts his description and shitty eyes hurriedly chides him to continue.

“Unusual eyes. They’re a combination of green and blue or some shit? Looks like the ocean.”

She sneaks another hand on the desk to inch into uncomfortable proximity to Levi. 

“That’s all I got.” He doesn’t know what she’s up to, but she’s acting like a freak.

“Yes, yes, I think I can sort of picture him. There’s just something I can’t place. What are his mannerisms like?” She inquires through a growing smile.

“Hange. Do you know him or not?”

“I’m a scientist, grumpy. I don’t give certain answers based on indefinite information.” She still remains in concerning close propinquity, and he can’t tell if she’s nearing an epiphany or is fucking with him.

“I think it depends on what he remembers at the time. At first he was polite and overly trusting, but a sarcastic little shithead. Then he was confident, snarky, but somehow bubbly? But he’ll shut you out on the drop of a dime.” He makes a mental note to work on the brat’s secretive manner.

“Mmhm. Uhuh.” She hums along to his descriptions while over vigorously nodding her head. She'd steadily prowled closer at each sentence until Levi finally drew out his hand to stop her in place. Her eyes widen in mock apology but she pleads for Levi to continue. _This is getting weird._

“Then there are times I think he may be prepositionally aware. If he is caught in the midst of some ploy with The Embassy and Kenny then it makes sense the kid's got teeth to fend for himself. He looks like a cat waiting for a bird to fall into his trap, or when he smiles…” He creases his eyebrows at the memory of Eren goading him after he prompted for information on Pixis. “It’s downright thrilling how threatening he can be.”

His mind had been on Eren, recalling his face and stuck reflecting on the many joyous arguments he’s had with the kid. Hange moves to sit crisscross on the desk in front of Levi, as she’s virtually climbed on top of it already. Drawing his attention to the movement he realizes his mistake: he wasn’t watching Hange’s face. Her mouth is split into a grin from ear to ear.

“Soooo,” she wiggles her body from side to side in a provocative fashion “you think he’s hot.”

“Four eyes,” he warns with a growl.

“When do _I_ get to meet tan and tasty?” She wiggles her eyebrows up and down in a lucrative manner.

He shoots up from his seat and effortlessly ensnares her in a head lock. “Pull something like that again and I’ll chop your fucking dick off.” He bites out past the seething hate dripping from his words.

“Le- _ach_. Levi.” She taps on his arm twice in a show of truce, but he only barely releases enough pressure so he is no longer choking the life out of her. “Levi I… haven’t showered in three days.”

He drops her like a fucking hot pan and spartan kicks her off the desk. She’s propelled back and hits one of the floating artifacts in her flight. The resounding metallic ring when her head meets contact is music to his ears, and oh so satisfactory. She lands on her ass again and groans while holding her head.

Getting up to take his leave, she calls back to him. It’s only because her somber expression has returned that he relents to hearing. “I can get you a lead,” she rubs at her head and glares at the relic still rotating in suspension above her. “But you’re not going to like it.”

They agree to a set of terms. Hange will reach out to him in a few days time, she’ll have to contact some informants first. It’s risky and plays their hands directly into the enemies, that being said the Survey Corps has a lot of enemies. Anybody who operates on the opposite side of the law would happily assist in their downfall.

“You’re sure of this?” He calculates her facial expression.

“Drastic situations call for drastic measures.” Doesn’t he know it. He pulls out the handkerchief one last time to open the door and take his leave. As the door swings on its hinges Levi takes a moment to glance at his phone for the time. He doesn’t like to leave the brat too long.

It's a mistake, his back to Hange and his slight delay give her all the idiotic courage she needs. “ _Since you drastically like him_.”

He slams the door in front of him to effectively seal them both in the office, and more importantly seal off her screams.

~~

Eren paces. One foot after the next, walking in a straight line until his path is blocked by the sectional in the parlor. Swiveling, he continues his haste until he is met with the wall. And so it continues, back and forth. Does he look at his feet, absorb the minute details of his shoes? Does he look at the placement of a lamp, the new addition of a throw blanket, or the overall design of the room? Or does he simply stare unseeing at naught in particular?

The latter proves correct as the first couple observations fail miserably at holding his attention for any length. Levi’s gone for the day and it’s strange. The house feels unfilled and his anxiety is brimming over. Not that he’s any less sedated with midnight taking occupancy in his house, but he can usually find solace in his company. The pull to move, the harsh fear of unknowns he’s long since forgotten, the urgency to just _fucking_ remember. These are all things that constantly weigh on his mind.

They can be coaxed into lessening with distraction. That is what Eren searches for in his pacing. He needs to find something to soothe the emotions that are eating him from the inside out. Armin is working, supposedly a late one for today. Mikasa is here, but has long since tired of entertaining him. She leans now against the glass paned wall as ever the faithful companion. She wants to help, to sweet talk Eren’s demons into rationality, to forcefully still his compulsion and allow him to rest. That is exactly why it's so weird not having Levi.

The ravenette wants to help too, but the difference between them draws at acceptance. Levi understands no amount of effort will lesson the burden of Eren’s mind. He doesn’t acknowledge Eren’s presence half the time, letting him quietly draw near him with the peace of mind that he’s not suffering alone. There is no soul searching for the root of his problems, as Mikasa is so accustomed to discussing. There’s no purposeful distraction from articulate literature or historical documentation as Armin's prone to summarizing.

If there is any verbal communication at all, and usually there isn’t, then it takes the form of snide banter. They both get along just fine, there’s no bad blood between them. He’s confident Levi doesn’t mind his company half as much as he fronts the opposite. Instead, Levi can sense the frustration and is steeled enough to take the brunt of its exposure. The ravenette doesn’t take offense, and it quickly becomes a more enjoyable game as the competition rises to better affront the other. 

A crack of thunder pulls Eren from his misgivings and he visually confirms the downfall of the skies through the window. The sudden disruption has him pausing in motion and assessing the world beyond the walls of his house. It’s grown cursorily, with little light streaming into the parlor.

With light, there is energy. Without light, well, Eren somberly twists to his side and drops onto the sofa below him with all the grace of a beluga whale.

He drops his head to hang at an angle, ensuring avid observation of the rain. Droplets splatter on the glass, ricocheting into copious segments until the external force of gravity pulls the water into a larger reunion. The cadenced tinkering of drops striking the house soothes him to senescence. The storm resonates with his emotions, urging the skies to befall all worries. The environment outside blurs into a wet haze until nothing matters but the raw emotion of the present. It makes him feel understood, even if it’s an abiotic function of the atmosphere that has no connection with sensitivity.

A sudden dip in the couch has him picking up his head to watch as Mikasa sits next to him. Upon noting the gained attention, she shifts her legs to encompass around his body. He scoots down until he’s happily laying on his back with his head in Mika’s lap.

“I was mentally preparing to drag you out from the rain should you attempt it. Figured it was better to intercept than let it get that far.”

He quietly chuckles and closes his eyes, content to snuggle his face into her thigh. With one hand he reaches up and idly bats at the edge of her scarf. He could determine by her tone of voice that she's feeling more relaxed, which means he himself must have calmed down to some degree. They play off each others emotions in that manner.

“We weren’t sure how to tell you.” Her voice is softer than usual, indicating her remorse. He tilts his head up with one eye cracked open, but she doesn’t seem comfortable to elaborate.

“You mean the magic?” He’s concluding her answer stemmed from the portions of their predicament they had yet to discuss.

The stoically beautiful woman nods in agreeance and adds “our involvement.”

Eren hums and goes back to burying his face in the comfortable flesh of her lap. It’s short lived, she swats at his head to keep his attention, and once she’s confident it’s been obtained, moves her hands to brush against his hair. She passes her fingers through the tangles and works out the knots as she thinks. He patiently waits, long after her fingers card through smooth and she switches to twirling long strands instead.

“It wasn’t fair, to keep a secret like that,” is her abbreviated synopsis that does not lack morose delivery.

“Seems like a pretty legit thing to keep a secret.” He gently flips the end of her scarf into a wave.

“A secret was kept all the same.”

“Look Mikasa, I don’t care.” She startles, jumping a hair’s width and her eyes widen subtly. “It doesn’t bother me. I trust you two and I know you had your reasons.”

She stares back at him with disbelief.

“Scouts honor,” he jokes as he raises his hand up in a pledge.

Mikasa wants to continue, except the front door slams open to reveal a very drenched Levi enter the foyer. Eren’s never seen him look so disheveled, he’s always meticulously in straight order. The guardian's face is a complete blank slate, but there's no hiding the anger in his eyes. Levi pauses from his power walk into the house when he notices the two of them, and after a moment Eren realizes his hand is still stupidly poised in the air.

Returning it to the pesky task of messing with Mikasa’s scarf, he watches the puddle forming at the base of Levi’s feet intrigued. “Ever-a-thing good there, bud?” He playfully exaggerates the pronunciation.

Surprisingly enough there is no retort, midnight simply continues up the stairs with a mumbled “shower.” His heavy thuds reverberate throughout the house for the succinct amount of time it takes Levi to reach his room. It’s obvious when he acquires his destination, as there is an audible slam. Mere seconds later the pipes of the old manor whir to life in a rush of creaks and groans. _That man didn’t waste any time, impressive._

Eren curiously hums to himself while pondering the events that could have led to unnerving midnight faerie. _It’s a useless simulation, really_. _I still don't know much about him._

“We were planning to tell you,” Mikasa resumes the previous conversation that he'd hoped they’d concluded already.

He audibly sighs and buries his face in her lap, resulting in the effect of drowning out his voice and slurring it to mumbles. “It really, really doesn’t matter. It’s okay Kasa.”

“We thought magic was involved with your memory loss. We should have told you sooner.”

He keeps his face sheltered in the safety and warmth of her lap, but he tampers down the next sigh that attempts to work its way out his throat. This is something that has clearly been bothering her, he can at least award her some chivalry by taking her seriously. He’s attempted to downplay it as much as possible, not wanting her to over-analyze the situation. Now he can see that tactic won’t cut it. “Would it have made a difference? If you had told me?” He questions his companion. All in all, he’s been effectively useless in all accounts of matters. The mystery around whatever the hell is going on revolves around himself, and he hasn’t managed to help in any profound way.

“Someone purposefully altered your memories.” She strokes his hair to soften the blow of the statement, but the cold sting of the sharp wording still gets to him. It’s the first time anyone’s said it out loud. There was speculation over different types of spells that could've been used, but there’s hasn’t been a concrete allusion to a specific person attacking him.

“We could have-” she cuts herself off as she picks up on footsteps coming down the stairwell. Eren shifts so he can observe a slight sliver of his surrounding from his current position, and is intrigued as Levi emerges past the bottom step. He still looks just as ruffled, though he’s adorned a dry pair of clothes. His hair is damp, having access to toweling it off, unlike when he had been caught in the storm and each strand of hair dripped like a leaky faucet.

He routes for the front door without pause, and it apparently causes enough grounds to concern his human pillow as she quickly intercepts with “Captain?”

He doesn’t stop momentum as the sound of a torrential downpour heightens with the telltale opening of the front door. There’s a last second “clean car” strewn out just a moment before the door closes, taking the storm from the forefront and sealing it into a background phenomenon.

Mikasa’s hand stills completely in his hair, and careening his head as much as possible, Eren discerns the slight drawing of her eyebrows. Interpreting the look of puzzled worry, he remains stealthy to allow them both time to think, though for two completely different matters. Her gentle fretting over whatever could have shaken Levi’s composure, and his contemplation over Mikasa words. He’s glad she said it, no matter how harsh it may sound. Because now that it’s been said, he can pick it apart. And so far, it doesn’t sit well with him.

“Someone.” He deadpans what his instincts aren’t letting him brush over. This draws Mikasa’s attention as she hums in confusion. “You said someone altered my memories. What if it’s not a someone?”

“Plural then?” She reassuringly pats his head.

“No, some _thing_. And not past tense.”

She buffs his head with her hands to shoo him up and pulls her legs from around him. He pouts at the withdrawal, but she sternly retreats to her own cushion while prompting Eren to sit up. “Elaborate.”

“It wasn’t a person. Not at least for the memory part, it doesn’t mean that people aren’t involved.” He takes care to slow down and deliver his words with confidence, to reassure his sister this is no trick of the mind.

She fixes him with a stare adorning the force in which the gravity of the situation calls for. “Something,” she readdresses the confirmation.

“Yeah, like not human. Something.” He gives her a reassuring smile that only manages to put more of a scowl on her face.

“Eren. That does not make this situation any better.”

His smile drops quickly, the last thing he wishes is to add more heat to the flame of Mikasa’s endless worrying.

“Not past tense- because you still cannot remember?” She tries to verbally piece out the meaning of Eren’s words.

“Well, you _cast_ a spell right? You don’t _casting_ a spell, because that would imply that you would have to continually do it.” He shrugs and looks at her with trepidation as he is not entirely convinced his communication skills are effectively getting his point across.

“You think some _thing_ is constantly fighting back your memories?”

“Yes! That’s it!” He vigorously fist pumps at Mikasa’s effortless pickup to his explanation. Then, with more seriousness “I don’t think, I know.”

At the sour pull to her face, he gently grabs her hands and pulls her into his lap. She doesn’t resist, but she doesn’t relax into him either. So he envelops his arms around her and tilts her head to rest in the crook of his neck. She sighs, and slightly loosens her muscles to the point of no longer being completely stiff-backed. It’s a start.

They stay like this for a while, long enough that the pace of the storm becomes predictable and the sound of raindrops turn into a well known chorus. Mikasa is concerned and constantly over thinking, but there is some benefit to getting her to relax for a moment. It’s been quite some time since they’ve gotten to decompress with just the two of them.

She turns to him now, lifting her head from where she was resting on his shoulder. When she speaks, her breath ghosts along his collar bone sending a shiver up his spine. “Again- that is why we should have told you sooner.”

It disheartens him, that he has been unable to convince her to drop her worries. He doesn't have any ill feelings toward her or Armin for being involved in another world apart from his own.

“If we had told you, then we would have more information by now.”

“What do you mean?” Eren's perplexed by her change in direction.

“You know right from wrong when faced with it directly. If it’s not brought to your attention then it may as well not exist.” Her face is hidden in the side of his neck and he can’t use facial clues to dissect her tone. “If we had just trusted you more-”

“Mikasa.” He chides, but she continues over him nonetheless.

“-if we had just payed more attention to you-”

“ _Mikasa_.” This time his tone is ice, his entire objective of reassuring his friend gone unnoticed by the very person herself. And he is not going to stand for her self deprecation.

“-then all we had to do was ask the right questions.”

“... what?” She’s lost him. He thought this was going to be a bashing on her status as a close companion and pointing out the flaws of every move she had performed wrong. Instead, it had taken a curve to somehow direct her to a tactic of progressing.

“Grisha.” Her voice is melancholic. There’s so much entailed in the single uttering of the name. She concludes her point, that while Eren does not openly carry knowledge of particulars in his head, he can still contribute to what he knows if asked in such a manner to trigger a suppressed memory. What’s more, she’s troubled. His father was involved in the underground and neither she nor Armin were ever informed. Having Eren so close to a supposed criminal without anyone suspecting, that hurts her to think about. Mikasa had been hit with the surprise curve ball that his father is deceased, without a single clue as to what happened and the extent of Eren’s involvement. Last of all, the childhood she had known was just shattered into shards of lies.

Auditory senses pick up the final tune of the door swaying into action, accompanied by the orchestra of thousands of watery strings falling from the atmosphere. There’s a controlled and methodical footstep to track this time, adorned with the modification of splashing liquid on wood as Levi retraces the puddles previously left in his wake. Mikasa is burrowed in his side and unmoving, leaving Eren to stare confusedly at the guardian so resolute to play in his mess.

Levi observes the ripples cascading each disruptive footstep with an eerie sense of satisfaction. He makes his way to the epicenter of the puddle, the larger one from which he had stood to address the two of them when first making his sopping entrance. The guardian stands amidst the pool of water and watches each new drop add to the collection from his twice soaked figure. It’s mere moments that pass, but to Eren it seems an unnerving portion of time.

As if midnight senses his unease, he slowly sways his head in Eren’s direction. The hairs on his arm stand on end as Levi’s face reveals a small contrite smile and a madness behind his eyes. Levi’s hand reaches out in front of him to catch a few measly drops without looking to perceive the accomplishment of his act. For a few long, life altering seconds, he doesn’t break eye contact. Finally, as Eren is about to crawl out of his skin, Levi turns as sedentary as he came and heads for the stairs. “Shower,” is the only remark uttered under his breath before he is gone once again.

Mikasa stirs against him after picking up the words and stares in confusion at the empty foyer. She then looks to Eren for an explanation, but her face only grows more perplexed once observing his haunted expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Levi is a cat. Hates dirt and water.


	12. Sought

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the part where I dodge bullets as I admit that I am waaaay ahead of this chapter and have a lot of the story planned out. But! I want to take my time and make sure I do this right. So on that note, I'm here to give ya'll an idea of how this fic will work. If you don't care and want to be washed away with the flow of it, then skip this note :)
> 
> So, I'm at the point in the story where I'm realizing there will be multiple arch's. Character building, somewhat allusive/weird plot building, and then boom shit hits the fan. Then rinse and repeat as more characters are (slowly) introduced and more things are uncovered. I just feel the need to explain this, as I'm currently wrapping up an arch and starting a new one and boy does it have me discombobulated. It's hard to switch gears as an author, so I'm taking longer to make sure the transitions are more seamless to the reader.
> 
> Now, read on!

_Five minutes. Ten rabbits._ There are now three more than before, flouncing around the yard with their puff tails portraying defenseless innocence. The brush-stroked bright tones to their fur are prominent in the golden light of the morning and Armin envies their coat. It must be so warm, especially since they’re hopping about in the slushy muck of the aftermath from yesterday’s rains completely unperturbed. It remains gloomy still, the clouds take a liking to their particular area and seem quite reluctant to leave. The small herbivorous mammals are taking advantage of the partial light offering a crepuscular sense of time. He’s sat at the benched nook in the kitchen under the window for a while now, and each time he looks to the lawn, more rabbits have joined the buffet of grass.

 _I wonder if Eren has ever cut the grass?_ With the precipitation levels in the area, the growth rate of the vegetation must be an egregious task for a landscaper to maintain. The small trivial matter is easily dismissed as a flash of bright scarlet dips into the skyline. _Six total now! Two female, this makes the fourth male cardinal._ _Perhaps the disproportionate accounts of gender has to do with human error?_ Only the male cardinals are bright red, easy for the eye to detect. The females are a more subdued brown. Technicalities, but data is still data. Especially when it doesn’t serve a purpose, more a fulfillment to the boredom of waiting.

He sighs into the glass of the pane as he looks to his phone screen for the umpteenth time. _Four minutes._ He can do this, there is chivalry in patience after all. He inspects the temperate old growth forest beyond the glass and stirs up random facts to pick apart.

The areal map of the property depicted the same reoccurring habitats with substantial ecotones. The probability of well established animal and plant diversity is extremely high, as most of the rarest of the rare live in these specialized niches of habitat transitions. The number of birds, mammals, and insects he observes hint at a strong environment. As he peers about and mentally tracks the numbers of the most notable, he actively switches gears to the subsurface details. Air plants and moss are faceted on nearly every aspect of trees, felled logs, or rocks. _Excellent air quality then._

_Three minutes._

Unusual pastels dot the edge of the forest just visible to the eye from across the lawn. Mushrooms, looks to be several different species intermixed in the same area. The underground mycelium feeding the roots of the forest must be expansive. _Perhaps it’s the very fungal richness that provides the diverse mycorrhizal relationships needed for so many plant species to survive? There have to be orchids amidst the canopy… oh how I would love to observe one._

 _Two minutes._ His stomach fills with anxious excitement. _Just two more minutes._ He’d been looking forward to the weekend, promising himself his next day off would entail a thorough search of the Jaegers’ estate. He’d stayed late again at work last night, searching the Archives for any subject matter that might help them. He doesn’t know at this point what novel could point an arrow in the direction they needed to turn, but he was hoping he’d notice one if it appeared. It wasn't disheartening when nothing turned up fruitful, especially since he's got this search to look forward to. Yet, the morning had started off in dismay.

Dr. Grisha’s study was locked, the only other portion of the house that was kept locked besides the basement. He knew of this, as he had curiously tried to wander in there already during a restless night. It isn’t the reason he’s crestfallen now. The location of the key is known, and more importantly, obtainable. The keeper of the key… happened to be off on one of his inconsolable wandering bouts. Eren had woken up earlier than Armin, which shocked him as dawn had not broke across the horizon at the time. He remembered as kids how much the carefree child would sleep in. So much has changed.

_One minute._

The echo of feet padding across the ground alerts Armin to the punctuality of his captain. He can’t help but wonder if the man is counting the time as well, or if his period served at the Survey Corps has just sharpened his inner clock to a finite point. He turns towards his superior and gives him a nod of acknowledgement and a respectful solute that is not returned. It seems Levi is content to quietly wait for the last few seconds to pass by, but Armin’s mind never allowed for much stillness.

“Do you know Mikasa’s whereabouts?” It is rather convenient, the skills of a wind mage. Possessing the capability to pinpoint the location of others just by the movement of his magic is impressive. It makes Armin glad the captain is on their side and not the alternative.

“Upstairs,” is the clip reply.

“Oh…” Armin draws out. She’s not one for redundancies. Mikasa probably figures there are enough people on the subject matter to control the situation. “Times up. Are you going to give him another minute?”

The captain hums and crosses his arms over his chest. Bouncing subtly on the balls of his feet in contemplation, he gives a decisive nod and leans against the kitchen counter. _One more minute it is then._ Armin was hoping to spare his friend from having to be called back like a dog on a leash, by letting him make the decision to willingly arrive himself. Yet, these last tense seconds pass the quickest when now all he wants to do is buy more time.

Levi shifts behind him to stand straight and sighs, "guess we have to drag his ass back.” There’s a soft stirring of the atmosphere around them and a few strands of the captain’s hair visibly shifting. He’s activating his magic to determine where his wanderlust companion currently occupies. Except, there’s a pause. Then the air stills and the captain’s hair drops.

“Is everything okay?” Armin tries to keep panic out of his voice, especially since the human GPS does not seem discomposed himself.

“He’s walking down the driveway.” That is all. Nothing more to conclude the conversation as Levi heads back to the parlor he’d claimed as his makeshift base of operations.

Turning back to the window, Armin stares at the one central point of the driveway bereft of the lawn in anticipation. The captain had given Eren an ultimatum, be back in three hours or take Mikasa with him. _Three hours is a very long time, a lot could go wrong._ He supposes it more of a nicety than anything. There’s no way the captain actually left Eren to his devices for so long, he plausibly checked in with his magic. His superior’s plan is likely to slowly tighten that window of command as Eren gets used to taking orders.

Right now, Levi is apt to avoid the risk of Eren refusing to come to him over important matters if he scares him off beforehand with overriding authority. His close friend is also really, really bad at listening to instructions. It’s a pride thing.

There’s a bob of reddish brown that signifies the mop of Eren’s hair peaking through the base of the path. _Finally!_ He rushes to the entryway and flings the door open with the full intention of meeting Eren halfway, until the wet squelch of water jolts his motivation.

 _It’s so warm and cozy in the house, I forgot to put on shoes!_ His socks quickly feel the bite of cold associated with the touch of water absorbing into the cloth. _Aw man. Too late now._ They were positively soaked. The prospect of wasting more precious time in fixing the current scenario outweighed the benefits, so he sloshed onwards.

Eren didn’t notice his approach, completely enriched with the scenery around him. His tan skin contains a golden hue from the obscured lighting, the yellows bring out the reddish tone to his hair. Most jarring is the vibrancy to his teal eyes that maintain their deep green base color. It was times like this, his lips parted in the barest of a content smile and hair jostling to the wind, that the free spirit inside of him is worn plain.

This carefree charisma, the charm and magnetic pull that is Eren, breaks down social and psychological barriers like no other. The chilling wind of the storm held stagnant on the borders of the skyline has no bite when faced with the light of his friend. The brunette is life breathed over in each puff of foggy exhalation as he takes the muggy atmosphere in full and transforms it into a playful activity. There was a contagious confidence and spring to his step that threatens to steadily eat away at even a complete stranger’s melancholy.

Yet, it's this exact instance of a content display that immensely saddens Armin. _When have I last seen him truly happy? Not the masked front that he’s been putting up for our sake._ The days of carefree Eren have been ripped away without any consolation as to the cause. _What’s happened? Where have Mikasa and I been that we’ve missed this switch so easily?_ It eats at him, the guilt of not being by his side when he needed them most. _Where were we?_

A clarion whirring that erupts from the path behind the brunette startles Armin from his self-reproach. It startles the brunette too, though he composes himself in a manner that only Eren is capable of. The wind rips through the areal tunnel created by the dome of the canopy and pushes against his back to force him forward. Armin himself has to grit his teeth and anchor his feet on the ground to keep from stumbling. But the glowing boy just takes it in stride, his mouth opens in a huff of a laugh and his eyes crinkle at the corners. Then he runs. He swings his arms wide to feel the full impact of the propulsion as he drifts in congruence with the disturbance.

It’s this exact moment when Armin knows everything is going to be okay. Eren thrives from disturbance, he turns any disaster into a miracle. The boy lives for the darkness and purifies the world with life. As kids, even the deepest of troubles never really disturbed him. He always had a way of coming up on top, no matter the risks taken. This of course, will give both him and Mikasa grey hairs early.

As if someone turned off the valve to the spout of wind, it slowly tapers in buoyancy until it dulls to a controlled speed. There’s the barest downturn of his grin as Eren turns forlorn in the direction of the lost current. Before he can accomplish his task, one stubborn stream lifts a dislodged leaf and lightly buffs against his nose. The reaction is instant, as Eren erupts into a huge smile and watches the leaf continue on its merry way.

Astonishing enough, the air does not still completely.

There’s a lull, to the untrained eye it may seem like the end of the breeze. Yet, if one were to be looking at the ground, they would notice the shuffling of felled leaves on the earth. Barely a shutter, at first. Then they start to create their own racket in velocity as they collide with each other in a slurry. Finally, they take to the air in one quick motion and echo around Eren like a carapace made from the departed foliage of the forest.

As astonishing a display as it is, Armin’s suspicions are confirmed in the next instance.

The meandering rotation of phenology stills but does not drop to the ground immediately. They sway in place for a succinct second, hovering in the air, before they drop completely.

Armin is good at observing and deducing conclusions in his calculations. Now, he knows the captain has a reputation for being a hard man. But his superior’s strict demeanor stems from concern rather than contempt, and his near perfect track record is probably a direct link to constant vigilance of those placed under his protection. He just confirmed that he’d been checking in on the boy. Once more, that the captain is obsessively punctual but not necessarily patient. The fiasco is an insurgence to get within grounds, but Eren took the beating and ran with it. Literally. At his disheartening when the captain began to release his magic, well, maybe Eren has managed to corrode his way into another heart after all. It’s really not surprising, he has a tendency to do that.

The brunette does not progress towards the house at all anymore, but stands and observes the woods. He appears deep in thought, but rather satisfied. Armin decides he should encourage his friend to get a move on before the captain decides to hit Eren in the face with a rock instead of a leaf.

Sloshing through the inundated grass and patches of moss, he makes his way to fulfill his intended purpose without more delay. “Petrichor,” he says while approaching the brunette.

“Hm?” He turns to Armin with a tilt of his head after dredging himself from his thoughts.

“Petrichor. It’s the word for the smell of rain.”

There’s a minute, small smile that forms on Eren’s face. “There’s a word for that, huh.”

This causes Armin to laugh at the sheer disbelief written on his friend’s face. “Come on, walk with me. I’ll tell you about it.”

Eren narrows his eyes, but one side of his mouth molds into a smirk all the same. “You’re just trying to subtly get me back in that house. How cruel, Ar.”

Armin simply smiles apologetically and continues his trek down the path. Thankfully, Eren falls in step compliantly beside him. “It’s constructed from the Greek word ‘petra’ meaning rock.”

There’s a hearty laugh next to him as Eren admits “you’re telling me the smell of rain is composed entirely from the smell of rock? Dude, I’m calling bullshit.”

“It’s not bullshit! Look it up.”

“I don’t even know what rock smells like, or _why_ it has a smell. What about the dirt and plants? Doesn’t any of that mix into it?”

“Oh, yes! Absolutely! Petrichor is mainly defined by the distinctive smell of stone because it’s the only time the oils are exposed to our olfactory senses. But there are also plant chemicals. In particular, an inhibitor chemical that discourages the production of growth because of a dry spout. Then it rains, and it washes the chemical inhibitor away and uplifts it in the humidity!”

Despite the excitement in his explanation, Eren maintains a face of doubt. “Rocks excrete oil?”

“Oh. It does seem far fetched. I’ll-” he presses both his index fingers together in embarrassment “have to do more research into that one. Sorry, I don’t know off the top of my head a good mentation.” He startles by the sudden warm pressure on his head as Eren ruffles his hair.

“Don’t bother, knowing that rocks secrete oil is more than I ever want to find out.”

This causes them to laugh again, and it helps to lift Eren’s mood from his distress of having to return to the house. It’s been his prison of unrest lately, which reminds Armin of why he’s so anxious to jumpstart his search of the house for clues. They reach the door and they both stretch for the knob, but Eren catches it before him. He gives an outrageous bow as he opens the object, exaggerating his accomplishment of turning it into a competition.

It gives Armin the advantage though, allowing him to block Eren’s path in the doorway and take the lead in conversation. No doubt, if Eren were to enter first, he would have beelined straight for the parlor. For whatever reason, the presence of the captain seems to soothe the brunette’s anxieties a little.

“Do you still carry the key with you?”

“ _The_ key. It sounds so dramatic.” Eren answers with a roll of his eyes. “But yes, I have it. What’s it for?”

“Uh, Eren. You don’t know what it opens?” He tries to keep his voice steady and neutral. Mikasa came up with the idea that the best way to get information about the strange situation is to lead Eren into answering the questions he doesn’t know to ask.

“No.”

 _Drats. No clues there._ He was getting his hopes up that he’d be able to discover more than what lay in the Doctor’s office from this excursion.

“Add it to the list of the forgotten. I just know it was on me when I woke up.” The brunette continues, nonchalantly.

 _Oh my. Something after all?_ “Woke up from what?”

His friend’s eyes glint to an unreadable expression for a split second before he pins Armin with a calculating stare. There is no answer as he brushes past him towards- the parlor. _Called it._

Mikasa gets all the praise for athletic prowess, but it’s hard to forget how lithe and quick Eren can be when he intends to be evasive. Armin doesn’t have the chance to catch up to him before he garners Levi’s attention. It’s not much more than a glance in his direction at the movement from entering the room, but the captain has a way of alertness without looking the part.

“Eren, actually…” Armin starts to softly intercede, but his friend ignores him and takes a seat on the lounge. He crosses his legs and shifts his arm around the back of the sofa to aptly lean into a stare through the window panes.

“Eren.” Still no alteration, Armin must have triggered something back there to bother him so. Now this has the captain actively watching the encounter between the two.

He sighs and walks up to his unresponsive friend so as to stand just a hair’s width away from his legs. “I won’t pry. Consider the subject dropped. Now, will you look at me?”

Armin doesn’t know to be relieved or offended with the brashness in which Eren immediately turns to his attention. He suppresses the urge to sigh and expresses what he’s been waiting for the entire morning. "If it’s okay with you, I want to get into Dr. Grisha’s office.”

“...okay.”

There’s an awkward pause where Eren doesn't attempt to get up and Armin stands there clearly hoping for something more. _Oh yeah, he doesn’t know what his key is for._

“Uhm. Look. I promise I’m dropping it!” He holds both hands flat in the air to mimic a stop sign. “But... that-keyyouwearistheonlyonethatopenstheoffice.” Armin gulps in a deep breath of air after rushing through the sentence before Eren gets the chance to be offended at the mention of the object.

“Oh. I see.” He fumbles with his pocket momentarily and draws out a skeleton key secured to a sash. He stops midway to unveiling it completely and appears to contemplate handing it over.

“You don’t have to give it to me. I’m happy as long as you unlock the door for me.” He watches as Eren traces over the intricate carvings of the key in reluctance.

“Yeah. I can do that.” He tucks the operative securely back into his pocket and stands, but as he raises his head, teal locks with gunmetal grey. There’s a gawky pause as Eren realizes he's being scrutinized by the captain before he ascends to the foyer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't figured it out yet, this is an Eren-centric fic. Everybody loves him.


	13. Recieved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! Here's a postie post for yah.
> 
> **Trigger Warning**  
> Anxiety attack at the page break. Skip to the description of plants and lichen if you're not about it. I personally have developed anxiety recently, I've even gone to the ER with chest pain and difficulty breathing not knowing what the fuck it was. It surprisingly helps to write about it, but everyone experiences different symptoms and has their own way of dealing with it.

“Where do you go?”

“Hmm?” Eren responds to the blonde after realizing he’s spent the majority of their search leaning against the window and longing at the woods. It isn’t until now that the concept of actually assisting Armin wafts through his mind.

“In the woods. Do you just walk aimlessly, or is there somewhere you like to go?” is Armin’s quandary, while pulling out the drawers of his father’s desk and inspecting the contents.

This alarms Eren for a moment as he mentally draws back to the location of the woman’s makeshift hideout. “I don’t really pay much attention to where I am, so long as I’m moving in general,” the lame excuse flows out on its own.

“Got it. Can I come with you next time?” Armin innocently bats his eyes. Not that Eren can tell, his friend’s nose is buried too deep in the contents of a book to see his facial movements. He just assumes with the passively sweet tone that it can only ever be complimented with the virtuous batting of the eyes.

“What?” Eren blurts out, caught off guard by the unexpected inquisition.

“The next time you feel anxious and go for a walk, can I come with? It might be helpful to have someone to talk to.” Noticing the downcast look on Eren’s face, his friend quickly amends his statement. “Or just for someone to be present. It’s good to know that people are there for you, not necessarily that they have to be doing anything.”

The sentiment is entirely touching, so naturally it has Eren feeling like an utter jackass. He can’t have Armin join him, because he doesn’t want to waste any of his short-lived free time dedicated to searching for the woman. He had gone there today and waited hours within her encampment. She never revealed herself, but by the notion of being watched he could sense she wasn’t far. He’d resolved himself to make her acquaintance no matter the labors involved. The morning hike started extremely early in order to avoid the ever careful watch of his friends. The house remained still with sleeping bodies, upon the exception of Levi, as he didn’t relent to rest for long.

It had been rather easy to sneak into the kitchen and grab a few miscellaneous pantry items before ducking out the door. He’d made sure to talk with the guardian before his departure, which was aggravating as the man only restricted the time to accomplish his goal. Though in hindsight, it was unlikely the woman would immediately warm up to him and strike casual conversation. He’d ended up passing the hours in a pensive solitude and left the food for her as his time ran short.

“That’s awfully nice of you Armin,” is what he finally decides as his uninformative reply.

The ghost of a sentence that neither confirms nor denies his permission as a wandering companion is not lost on the blonde, as he sadly nods and continues his search. He’s finished with the inner contents of the large desk and sets now to the task of skimming though volumes on the bookshelf. His fingers phantom along the spines of various novels in quick succession, only to draw to a jarring halt. Armin quickly re-ascends the order from the beginning, attentively reading the titles from the oddly shaped and colorful spines of each binding. His finger progression gets slower and slower until he remains rigid with a dumbfounded expression. “Eren- did your dad still work from home often?”

“Dad uhh…” he awkwardly scratches the back of his head as he tries to think of the best way to broach the subject with his childhood friend. “Hey Armin?” He decides to wait until his friend’s befuddled eyes meet his before continuing "dad hasn’t been back to this house since… well, since mom died.” The last part of the sentence is voiced at a whisper as Eren finds difficulty in expressing the words.

Armin’s lips shape a silent ‘O’ as he takes in the information. He now awkwardly shifts around on his knees, probably attempting to come up with distracting small talk without seeming dismissive. “He must have took all his medical books with him, then?”

“I don’t know.” Eren shrugs in uncertainty.

A nod, though the blonde still refuses to meet his eyes in contrition. “It’s just too weird,” Armin mumbles under his breath almost as an afterthought.

“What’s weird?”

Crystalline blue orbs widen like he’s been caught and he quickly stammers over his next words. “So the other bedrooms in this house, do you think I’ll find something useful in any of them?”

“No.” Eren deadpans. “Why is there nothing of use in here?” He non-subtly leads him back to the topic victim of an attempted brush over.

“Oh it’s uhm… uhm.” The blonde brushes his hands against his thighs in a manner that suggests he’s wiping away the nervous clamminess. “Look I didn’t know your dad as well as you did… but these books are uncharacteristic. I think.”

“How so? It’s not strange for my dad to read.” Somehow the tables have turned, and Eren’s the one questioning the coconuthead. It’s a nice change of pace that quickly sets him in a capricious mood.

“No, no, not that. It’s _what_ he is reading.” He adds a quick “was” at the end and immediately vocalizes his blunder with an expressive “shit!”, stammering over his speech at the topic of his father’s mortality.

It doesn’t bother Eren though, deciding it’s actually adorable. He loves anything that manages to make the considerate boy curse. Sort of a weird fetish, but sue him. He partakes from his position on the windowsill and closes in beside Armin on the floor. His shoulder brushes up against the blonde as he leans into his body to get a closer look at the novels. “What’s so weird about them, Ar?” As he asks the question, he turns in his address to the blonde. Consequential to the closeness of their positions, this places Eren’s face mere inches away from his friend’s counterpart.

“It’s, _ah_ …. because… Eren!” The coconuthead blushes and hides his face in his hands from the unrelenting gaze and close proximity.

This has Eren deeply laughing and the studious boy darkening several shades. Feeling generous, he decides to relieve the blonde of his troubles by shifting so his feet lock in around him and hoisting Armin up onto his lap. He rests his head on the blonde’s shoulder from behind and pulls a book out from the shelf in front of them. His friend’s face remains pink, but lessons with color at relief from being unashamedly observed.

“Oh, look! It’s about magic.” Eren hums to himself in excitement for a moment before resuming the conversation at hand. “We know he’s involved with magic though, it’s not weird.” He leans into Armin’s side to speak more or less into his neck.

This causes the boy to squirm uncomfortably and to flourish crimson. Armin’s reply comes out as an incomprehensible squeak as he fights to regain his composure. “It’s folklore, Eren.”

There’s an awkward beat of silence as Eren pauses to consider the proclamation, the prolonged stillness more than speaking for itself.

“I’m serious, for once in your life will you open up a goddamn book! Check it out yourself.” Armin’s vocals raise in volume as his flustered friend forcefully opens the book for him.

This has Eren grinning like a wolf, because he’s managed once again to get the cute bastard to curse. He flips through the pages regardless, humoring the blonde since he’s put him through enough torment for the day. It’s written more or less like a mythical fairy tale, in handwritten cursive complete with illustrations on each page. “What the fuck?”

“See, it’s weird. They’re all like that.” Armin straightens in his lap in contrition, proud to have finally been given the affirmative.

Eren reaches past him to draw another book from the shelf, which has him conveniently pulling the blonde tighter against him in his strain. It seems the fun is more or less over, however, as Armin simply sighs in exhumation and relaxes against him in defeat. Reigning in his coquettish attitude, Eren observes the cover of the newly traded novel with creased brows. The title reads ‘ _Entstehung des Lichts’_ and flipping through the pages unveils more confusion. He likens it to a bible big bang theory, except with mythical prowess.

“It’s an old nursery tale,” Armin takes over the turning of the pages as he recognizes the book. “Old as in, nobody really knows about it anymore. It’s been aged out of the generations. At one point in time, everyone who was magic knew about it.”

“You’re not painting a very pretty picture here Armin. So far all I’m imagining are a bunch of whacked out magical cultists.”

There’s a brief laugh before he launches into an explanation. “It wasn’t taken seriously. I mean, at one point in time it may have been, probably a couple hundred years ago. But for the last century it’s been phased into a sort of fairy tale.”

“Huh.” He glares at the artifact in question as if he could mentally bully the inanimate to speak. “What was my dad doing with it?”

The leather bound novel vibrates in his hands for a millisecond, before shooting into the air and out of his reach. “What the- HEY!” He shouts as he desperately tries to grasp it, but the boy in his lap hinders the movement. Eren watches the book trail through the air until it lands in an ivory pale hand.

Levi stands leaning against the opposite wall of the desk, now paging through its contents. _How long has he been there?_

“This artifact is hard to come by nowadays. Seems your father acquired quite the collection.” Midnight faerie quirks his eyebrow with the hint of a smirk, “besides never growing up, what else have we learned about Dr. Jaegar?” Grey eyes flick up and down in an insinuating manner between the two boys, who appear more like they’ve been relieving pent up frustration rather than working.

Armin’s face lights up with fireworks and he ungracefully lifts himself up from Eren’s lap and dumps himself to the side. From here, he completes a one-eighty rotation to face the brunette in the cramped space. “Eren, there’s got to be something to this. Let me search the bedrooms.”

He opens his mouth to answer, but a deeper voice foreign to his own resounds instead. “I’ve swept the obtainable second story.” _Meaning, Levi has meticulously inspected every nook and cranny to the house besides the locked room they now converse in._

“Insomniacs must get a lot of work done,” Eren jokes. It’s met with an unappreciative flat stare from both parties. _Tough crowd._

“There has to be more clues. Something. Anything really that points us in a solid direction.” Armin’s tone increases in fervor at the frustration of the situation. “We’re just sitting ducks! We don’t know what happened to Eren, _he_ doesn’t know what happened to him. Someone with a form of magic that isn’t supposed to exist targeted him and his father is dead for crying out loud!”

Eren places a hand on the coconuthead to quiet him down and then proceeds to ruffle it up in reassurance. The motion causes the key protected in his pocket to slide out marginally, catching the attention of the two observationists as it glints in the light. Eren quickly retains the key securely back in its place at the unwanted attention.

“Wait Eren, that’s actually a good idea,” Armin ascends. “Let’s check the basement.”

He can feel the exact moment when his body goes rigid with tense muscles. “No.”

“But-”

“No.” There’s a moment of awkward muteness in which Eren stubbornly ignores the pressing stare from Levi and the wide eyed look of contrition from the blonde.

The porcelain man shifts out of his lean into an upright position to assume authority, but Armin quickly intervenes. “I’m sorry Eren, but we need to at least try. What are your concerns with the basement?” It’s of no use, he’s met with an obstinate bout of silence and a divergence of the eyes, while the brunette brings himself up to stand as well. “Is it dangerous?” Armin continues to pry from his unusually defensive friend.

“No,” another flat rejection.

There’s a deep sigh exacting from the direction of the captain, but Armin continues to press before giving the man a chance to speak. It’s like pulling teeth when Eren gets in this strange reluctant mood and he doesn’t want Levi’s demanding to completely close the door for him. “There’s no reason why you can’t accompany me, would it be better if you came with?”

“No!” Eren raises his voice and draws several steps away from the inquisitive blonde. Observing the surprise and concern plainly written in the room, he finally relents to an explanation. “I won’t go in there.”

“Okay. It’s okay,” Armin is quick to placate. “I’ll go then. It will just be me.”

“Don’t go alone, take someone with you.” Eren runs a stressful hand through his hair, body still terse. “Either Mikasa or Levi, so long as they can hold their own in in a fight.”

“I thought you said it wasn’t dangerous?” The confusion is written plainly on the coconut’s face as he asks for clarification.

“It’s not.” Another bout of standstill, Eren’s cessation of an explanation clearly putting up a barrier. All the while, Levi remains silent while keenly observing the encounter for future analysis.

“Alright, I won’t press. Levi, will you-” the dark haired man nods an affirmation before Armin can finish his question.

“I’m going as well.” The inhabitants of the room turn to the doorway at the sound of Mikasa’s voice. She too, must have appeared unnoticed at some point in the conversation. Now, she remains searching Eren’s face for some sort of perception to his position.

“Good, doubly so. See Eren, they’ll both go. Now may I have the key?” He holds out his hand in congruence to his statement.

“Not really, no.” Eren procures, the blonde blinking in surprise and retracting his hand slightly. Noticeably not all the way, to imply he’d not completely given up. “I’ll… open it for you, I guess.”

A solemn and tense atmosphere befalls them as they walk downstairs, nobody willing to mention the strange behavior. At the base of the staircase in the foyer there’s an indiscriminate door along the wall. It’s the only door in the house that does not adorn the bold ancient wood akin to the other entryways in the house, devoid of intricate carvings or features to distinguish. It's painted along with the color of the wall to better conceal its presence. The knob followed the same theme, gone was the ornate and obtrusive style and instead one small, unassuming handle took its place. This too, is strangely painted over to assist the blend with its surroundings.

Drawing up just short of the door, Eren extends his arm’s reach to insert the key. It’s entirely lacking in suspense, as the knob gives a subtle click, and the next moment he has it swinging from its hinges. Eren draws two steps down the dark stairs, flicking on the lights and illuminating the path before them. As he passes the three of them on the way back, he doesn’t stop for reflection. Eren continues on his way and disperses into the manse of the house without so much as a word.

~~

Eren pitches against the harsh bark of the ligneous plant, curbing the scratchy sensation by utilizing his hand as a barrier between his face. The soft warmth of his skin is a complete contrast to the cold and unforgiving armor of the tree. Humans are weird in their soft bodies and unremarkable predatory skills. If you can’t kill, you block. If you can’t block, you run. But mankind doesn’t excel in any of these categories. Not when striped of their weapons and technology, then bare as the day they were born.

_Humans are flawed._

Eren is flawed.

He laboriously counts the erratic rhythm of his breath in an acknowledgment of the issue at its source. A panic attack. He’d panicked back there. Something was _wrong_ with the basement. But it remains as a _was_ , past tense. Whatever trouble he had experienced there was long gone and with it the recollection. All that remains is the feeling. It's a murky black wave of pain and suffering that swallowed the innocent and corrupted the survivors.

_here were survivors._

There were more people involved than just himself.

He chokes on nothing, suffocates with the oxygen that should be assisting his life. Instead, every inhale isn’t enough. Every exhale only diminishes what’s left of the remaining usable air in his body. The walls close in swiftly this way, black spots cede the edges of his vision. It’s suddenly much too strenuous to stand, and it’s curious how the hinges to his knees decide to give up the burden of support before his legs do. Limbs surrendering out from underneath him, he roughly slides down the grain of the bark with his descent.

The ground may have embraced him at the bottom of his mental pit, but the assist is too late. He’d fought so hard to keep his composure, to own the rights for control of his body. He’d lost.

He wasn’t good enough. He couldn’t stop his own thoughts from rendering his body useless. Eren is useless.

The soggy detritus from the bottom of the old growth sullies his clothes, the wicking of the cold and wet slowly suffocates what fire remains of his resistance. Eren dwells here in the mental hell he creates. He deserves it, at this point. He’s so fucking useless, his current predicament only enumerates the point. So he falls apart. Hunkers into the side of the trunk, silently crying out his pain in broken inhales. The panic blooms in his chest and burns like his heart is fit to burst. He’s wounded his skin, minimal scratches bleed openly from catching on the scaly surface of the tree. Nerves pass along the signal to his brain, but the pain is dulled by the inner torment of his mind.

When he finally regains control to his emotional state, he is not aware of the shift to composure. The focus on his mentality is precisely what drove him into a frenzy, it makes sense the surreptitious shift in attention steadily brings him back to normal. Well, somewhat more capable of function. The pressure in his chest remains, but his inhales seem to take with actual substance. He’s far from calm, but no longer at the brink of breaking.

Eren sluggishly becomes more aware of his surroundings, contemplating the passage of time and whether he should head back to the house. His friends could be done with their search by now, or another half hour may be in the books if they intend to scour every nook and cranny. Regardless of the result, he doesn't feel particularly motivated to return as he is now. So he sets his mind to wandering again, giving it a buffer to heal before his friends attempt to pry the band aid off that he’s so recently slapped on.

Usually he observes a bit of nothing and everything. Movement, in particular, has a tendency to catch his eye. It’s instinctual, the first line of defense is to ascertain the threat. When it turns out to be nothing more than the batting of dainty wings, or the crashing of small lizards from branch to branch, he tends to immediately tune it out. In a way he looks, but he doesn’t really see. Now, as he wants nothing more than to stay as far away from his mind as possible, he forces himself to see.

What holds his attention spectacularly in the woods before him is the indeterminate life that requires searching to examine. The lichen in this moist forest is abundant and widely diverse. Each facet of a branch, trunk, or twig has an assortment of species melding into a colony of color. There are striking turquoise wisps hanging from the canopy, silver spikes embedded into the bark, and all shades of green ranging from light to dark between nooks. More curious are the sparsely occurring red or blue lichen that embolden a tone of toxicity. Now and then, they’d appear in the strangest shapes that depict an animalistic quality.

Either way, it forced Eren to concentrate and left him far away from the inner workings of his head. Everything draws to an end at some point, and he’s not surprised when he finds himself at the same impassable stand that belies the trespasser’s encampment.

He’d been here this morning and it feels a bit awkward to stand in the same place again. However, it _is_ his property, and therefore, he should not feel awkward for intruding on someone who is already intruding on him. Besides, the path ahead is the closest to the house. The gnarled impassibility would also do wonders to occupy his mind on the return. But that’s just his excuse. He hopes to run into her no matter how narrow a possibility it may be.

The sentiment is quickly dashed, the place is empty. Hollow and sad in its absolute basic essentials, lacking in any sort of small comfort, the handmade shelter doesn’t reveal secrets today. _Maybe another day._ He does not linger long, having his share of sitting and waiting from his morning. After one last inspection of the hollow, he turns to be on his way. Except, his foot clanks against something on the ground to draw his attention. It’s a tuber ware container. An empty one.

 _He’d left food for her, hadn’t he?_ Now, the only remains to the perfectly concealed instrument is a single fork enclosed within, justifying the metallic sound when jostled. It's too neat, an animal couldn’t have gotten into it. The lid is tightly secured back on, being the intricate tuber ware that notched and then locked into place. He spares a moment for a small smile, glad that she’d at least trusted him enough to take the food out. Whether she actually ate it or buried it in the woods somewhere has yet to be discovered. _Baby steps._ He’s determined to at least have a conversation with her, and she’s not sticking around for nothing. He’ll find out what it is sooner or later.

With that, he has a bit more energy to his step and feels a lot less prone to slam his head on a log over his misgivings.

When he reaches the manor, the three still occupy the space outside the basement door. They notice Eren’s entrance immediately, as the under story situated below the staircase is paramount to the front entrance.

“The door isn’t equipped with a turn lock,” Levi articulates in greeting.

“No?” Eren questions, as he stands there lamely. There’s a beat of noncommittal response before he concludes the dark haired man isn’t going to explain further. “Why does this matter?” He questions with a hint of confusion.

“I can’t manually lock it.” Levi’s face is carefully composed, but much preferred over the concerned anticipation exuding from Mikasa.

“Okay.” He’s not sure what Levi wants from him here.

It becomes evident to the porcelain man as he finally opts for more context “you’ll have to lock it again with the key.” There’s no accompanying smirk or sarcastic lift of the eyebrow, Levi’s treading carefully here, concern blossoming from the way Eren had acted in regards to the aforementioned object.

“Did you find anything useful?” Remembering the purpose of their search past the emotional reaction, Eren decides to shoot for a hopeful inquiry.

“Not shit.” There’s a quieter mumble about ‘fucking dust’ that Eren doesn’t think he’s supposed to hear.

“Oh. Sorry.” He flashes a quick placating smile before proceeding towards the stairwell for his room. He barely makes a couple initiating steps before he’s called back to attention with an ‘oi’. Eren doesn’t stop completely, but slows his pace while giving Levi his attention.

“You don’t want to relock the door?” The guardian’s face is a mask, his intentions not readily evident.

“No. There’s ‘not shit’ in there,” he finger quotes Levi’s previous response. At this point he’s halfway up the staircase with his back long since facing midnight faerie, thinking the conversation over.

“Eren.” It’s a demand to turn around, the ravenette doesn’t have to specifically voice it to get his point across.

The brunette sighs and spins on his heels, not bothering to keep the look of annoyance out of his face.

“Then can I have the key?”

“No.” There’s no hesitation to his answer, abruptly swiveling on his feet and continuing on his way.

Eren barely disappears beyond the railing to the second story above, before Armin articulates the common denominator rifling through their thoughts. “If he doesn’t wish to keep the office or basement locked, then what else does he need the key for?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, if you've stuck it out this long then you've officially won my heart. I guess I should tell you a bit about myself if we're in love now. The environmentally focused descriptions are based on my geeky personal interests, I work in the field of plant conservation. And no, it's not cannabis. I get paid to be in the woods and I fucking love my job.
> 
> Just as equally as I love my readers ;)


	14. F is for Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooo
> 
> I'll be editing some of the first couple chapters of this fic, it needs some love as I was just getting the hang of writing. If you get more notifications this week for updates, it's probably that and not another chapter.

“It’s troubling. I’d hoped to have made more headway by now.”

“Yeah, life’s a bitch.” Levi responds to the commander over the phone while continuing to type on his business laptop. His feet are propped up on the dark granite coffee table, and the tea placed conveniently close has long since grown cold.

“Encounters, evidence, or information on the dark mage?” Erwin continues to probe for information.

He grunts out a quick response that is easily taken for a ‘no’. There’s naught to report.

“That does nothing to reassure me. It’s been too quiet,” Captain America responds.

Levi can’t help but feel the same way. An attempted murder is never happenstance and a failed attempt usually does not equate to the fun being over. Far from it, as it only forces the assailant to get more creative. But so far, his work protecting Eren has been unremarkable. When it comes to the boy himself, that is an entirely different story.

“And what of Eren? How has he taken to your presence?” The commander reads his mind as if he'd followed along his train of thought.

“He doesn’t seem perturbed in the least that I’m here.” He softly hums for a moment before offering “it helps that his friends were already associated with me.”

“Friends?”

 _Ah, guess he’s left the hulking blonde in the dark for quite a while_. “Armin Arlert and Mikasa Ackerman.” He’d expected surprise or confusion at the admission two of his best corpsman sustain a profound connection with the brunette, but Erwin’s always had a knack for defying expectations.

“Oh, yes. I had forgotten.” Erwin casually reacts.

This causes Levi to sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose in irritation. _Just how much does Erwin know about this brat and why is he omitting the information?_ “Eyebrows,” he growls “not even a fucking warning?”

“I thought you had a particular fond tolerance for those two? Is that not the case?” The behemoth attempts to wrap the humor in his voice through a disguise of professionalism.

 _I think the confusion here lies with what you interpret as tolerance, eyebrows._ Regardless, it has nothing to do with wanting a little forewarning. He opts for silence in his irritation and continues to skim through the report on his computer.

The commander presses on “how is Eren doing?”

“Vagabond tendencies and doesn’t remember a fucking thing,” is his abbreviated reply. Levi’s magic subconsciously drifts out to check on the boy, of which is currently sleeping in his room upstairs. Confirming his charge is indeed in bed and not sneaking out the window for a nighttime hike, he expands the reach of his magic. Armin also remains in his respective room, no activity prevalent throughout the entirety of the house. Mikasa had stayed the night at her shared apartment. Having an early expedition in the morning, it made sense to start the day out in the vicinity of civilization.

Erwin drawls on, more than making up for Levi’s want to discontinue their catch-up. “I’ve never known that boy to not have an ace up his sleeve. He knows more than he’s letting on.”

“He certainty does, but he’s not hiding it as you just implied.” If his tone becomes audibly dry, his phone companion doesn’t take notice.

“Oh? Eren is exceptionally skilled with manipulation, and even more gifted where people are concerned. He’s an expert communicator.” Levi wants to cringe at the backhanded praise afforded to the brat. “What has you convinced he’s not lying between the unsaid?”

“Are you aware Grisha Jaegar is deceased?” Levi responds to his colleague’s question with another question.

His magic detects a sudden movement as Eren jerks in his sleep, distracting Levi from the conversation at hand. He hadn’t realized his wind remained activated, nor that it was monitoring the sleeping brunette. He now focuses his energy on pulling the element back, but it’s two in the morning and Levi is irrefutably human. For whatever unfathomable reason, it requires more strength to usher his magic away from Eren than it does to sustain it in the background. So he opts to leave it alone in his exhaustion, seeing no harm in letting it persist.

“-ky, Levi?”

“What?” He’d tuned Captain America out a while back.

There’s a sigh on the other end of the phone as the commander summons from his bottomless pit of patience. Levi has long since assumed he's got an ancestral link to a once prosperous ruler, how else does he manage to deal with people on a daily basis without going insane? “As I was saying, this is wearisome news. How did it happen?”

“Don’t know,” he clicks his tongue in finality.

“He refuses to tell you?”

This irks Levi, as the blonde has adopted nothing more than implied uncooperative and shady misgivings toward the brat since the start of their conversation. “How’s and why’s aren’t really his thing right now. He’s capable of affirmation, but he doesn’t understand himself the extent of what he knows.”

“That is very strange indeed. I’ll look into the possibility of spell crossing- perhaps a hefty combination may have been involved.” _Decent guess, better than memory suppression_. It's tricky to pull off more than one spell on a single target as they often cancel each other out. A particularly well versed individual could potentially consort the right syndicate to align.

The brat must be having a bad dream, another erratic kick disturbs his wind, then a quick motion to one side. Who knows, maybe it’s because they’re talking about him. “Are we going to discuss everything we don’t know the whole night, or can I get back to actually working on the knowing part?” He’s short in his fatigue, having steadily worked throughout the night.

“How does he act around you, Levi?”

He sucks in a breath from irritation, this conversation is not worth loosing sleep over. Literally. “Erwin, what the fuck?”

“He’s let you in his house, his close companions are familiar and respectful to you… is he trusting of you as well?” The blonde investigates his nagging questions further.

“He’s a fucking kid who’s in a shitty situation and is accepting the most rational help available to him. What the fuck are you digging at?” He growls, not attempting to hold back his disdain with the matter.

There’s another sigh that suggests the blonde is rallying his communication skills to properly get through to Levi. “In all honesty, I’m worried about loosing him.”

“He’s right fucking here, and there’s always someone watching him.” This infatuation from afar Erwin has adopted towards the kid is rapidly progressing into worrisome behavior.

Erwin counsels his intentions with easy sophistication. “No, no, not like that. Give me a moment to think of the best way to put this.”

He doesn’t plan on giving the behemoth the reprieve to collect his thoughts, he’d rather berate him on wasting his time. However, the brunette upstairs goes into another fit, this time bodily slamming into the wall against his bed with one shoulder. While Levi cannot hear the impact from this distance, he can feel the force of the contact as his currents are crushed between boy and partition. Levi expects the kid to wake up properly and instantly cradle his shoulder, but the air remains still and movement ceases. He’ll have to keep an eye on that, make sure Eren doesn’t crack his fucking head open in his sleep.

The blonde finally resorts to explicating with “he slips away despite being right in front of you. If you reach out to him within arm’s reach, all of a sudden the distance has been tripled and you find he’s untouchable.” It sounds like a sagely crock of shit to his ears, but he understands what the commander is attempting to relay. “That’s why it’s so important for you to get as close to him as you can for now, because when this mist of uncertainty clears, Eren will disappear along with it.”

From a metaphorical standpoint, of course. The boy will not disappear himself, but his history and current obstacles will remain illusive. Which brings to attention, how the hell did Erwin come to this conclusion? There’s much his old friend has yet to reveal about the situation at large. “How did you know Arlert and Ackerman were close to Eren?”

“Anyway, it’s getting late-”

“Erwin.” He cuts off in a hiss of a warning.

“I’ll let you go for now, we’ll stay in touch.” His superior calmly dismisses.

“Erw-” there’s a click of the line and then the monotonous ring of the terminated connection. “Fucking bastard,” he grumbles. Brushing it off all the same, he’s still got the upper hand in the matter. The next time eyebrows comes around seeking information about the brunette, he’ll see just how cooperative Levi is willing to be.

He shifts out of his static position, shaking his legs in a stretch and repositioning his laptop onto the table. This upward position gives him a chance to be more alert than his previous recline. It might just be the little surge of energy he requires to push through this last report before retiring for the night. Well, morning. Technically speaking.

He skims through the deft report of findings on several crimes that are proving to be more interrelated than first imposed. While the matter appears to be getting more problematic than what he’d originally handed off to Brendzska, he feels confident she can handle the situation. Despite the troubling topic, Levi finds it hard to concentrate. He contemplates giving up and retiring all the same, when there’s a surge of disturbance from upstairs.

_Convulsions._

Eren is convulsing on his bed.

Levi tosses his laptap in disregard and propels up the stairs with his heart at his throat. The sense of urgency bubbles up and eats at his labored breath as if he’ll suffocate if he doesn’t speed up. _Faster._ He draws an upsurge of wind to hasten his gait, his feet no longer touch the ground as he runs on air. It’s only a matter of a few seconds for him to reach the boy’s door from his original position in the parlor, and Levi throws open the entryway as if it’d taken him one too many minutes.

The brunette remains writhing on the bed, half tangled in the comforter as his limbs jerk in an errant manner.

Levi promptly launches onto the bed and pins Eren’s appendages, preventing the brat from causing more damage than already inflicted while unconsciously slamming against the wall. He scans the boy with his wind to detect magical interference, but finds no trace of it. The kid struggles beneath his grip and he focuses on a rapid medical assessment through the forced stillness.

It’s not a seizure. Eren occasionally swings his head from side to side, but it’s not consistent and in the small shake of an uncontrollable muscle spasm. What’s more, his eyes are tightly closed and his mouth formed into a grimace, which is more control than what would be offered if a seizure were the culprit.

There’s blood on the sheets.

Levi’s heart pummels as he locates the source from deep gouges on Eren’s neck and upper arms. The wounds are linear, five in a row. A quick appraisal of Eren’s hands confirms his worries, as his fingernails are bloodied over. He’s been taring at himself.

A nightmare? He’s never seen anything of this caliber before, and that’s saying a lot from an individual who himself does not sleep often.

He shakes the kid roughly and lashes his magic around the room, creating enough disturbance to hopefully draw him out of it. The wind that’s been incessantly monitoring the kid since his conversation with Erwin now whips into ragged fluxes around him as his concern surmounts. “Eren.” He calls out to the boy who continues to resist his restraint beneath him. “Eren, wake up.”

The room is now chaotic, his wind monopolizing the air around them to form miniature vortexes and unsafe velocity.

If the sound of the currents ripping away at each other isn’t reaching the boy’s ears, then yelling will do nothing to brighten the situation. He laboriously concentrates on slowing the growing deadly pace of his element into a gentle wash, and leans in closely to his ear as the brunette fights all the same. “ _Eren_.” He whispers, straining to keep the rivets of magic methodical and controlled around the brat’s body, as his own muscles fight to keep him pinned.

Then, just like that, the boy stops writhing in his grasp and stills completely.

Eren’s body goes rigid. Levi pushes himself up to eye the boy beneath him, only to find himself reciprocal of a blazing stare.

There’s a haunted ambience to the teal orbs, as they look back at Levi with unrefined emotion. A few moments pass like this, where Levi is unsure how to proceed. Eren’s stare, despite the hollow quality, is piercing through him. It’s not until his eyes shift to the cascade of choppy currents around them that Levi lets out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

He releases the brunette’s arms and unpins his legs to sit beside him. Eren continues to remain in the same position, muscles tense. He watches Levi carefully as he moves, and now his focus shifts wearily toward the havoc of air around him. So Levi drags the magic down, halting the movement completely. Well, not all movement. Levi’s wind still retains its ambient circles in the encompassing proximity of the brunette. It’s as much to calm the brat as it is an excuse to refrain from withdrawing from his presence.

It seems the cessation of wind is the que Eren was waiting on, as he proceeds to roll onto his side and curl into a ball as soon as the danger of his surroundings subside. Levi opts to remain silent, giving Eren time to recollect himself. It’s a crushing and awkward muteness, Levi wrought with concern and the boy hunched in on himself, completely at the defensive.

“Want to talk about it?” He questions softly.

“No.” Eren does not unravel from his position and offers no more.

“Eren,” Levi presses. The boy does not respond, so he alters the angle at which he’s sitting to more directly face the brat. “Oi,” he lightly attempts again while placing a comforting hand on Eren’s head.

The brunette immediately jerks away from his touch and scrambles further from him.

“Eren, what the hell?” He growls with frustration, not necessarily aimed at the boy’s actions, but at the situation itself. He plants his feet on the floor and stands beside the bed, taking a step back to better analyze the situation. He can’t just walk away and leave the brat like this. Not only is he completely shell shocked, he’s crusted over in dried blood. It’s disgusting to leave him laying like that.

“Come on, brat.” He places a knee on the bed that causes a small dip, giving Eren all the warning needed to foreshadow his impending propinquity. The brunette immediately springs up from his fetal position to strike Levi’s outstretched hand away. _Shitty brat._ Levi’s eyes narrow and he doesn’t give the brunette a moment to resettle as he lunges forward to grab him. Except, he's misjudged just how shaken and feral Eren is acting, as the brunette throws himself furthest away from Levi. His back hits the wall with a cringe worthy ‘thunk’. The boy is not phased by the pain and resolutely stares back at Levi with unrestrained suspicion.

The ravenette sighs and closes his eyes, conducting an inner debate with himself as to the best course of action. He recognizes that expression and defensive demeanor, Eren’s already shut him out. Normally, when this happens Levi gives him space. Revisits the topic when the boy’s in a better mood, but rarely does he get much information from the interactions. Eren just shuts him out, period.

Levi’s prepared to rip as many doors off their hinges as needed in order to get through to the brat. His knee bows slightly into the bed as he precariously places all his weight on it. The brunette’s eyes track the subtle movement, obvious in glancing down as a signal of observation. So he stills for a moment, just enough to convince the brat he’s stopped his advance. Abruptly, he lunges forward and takes hold of Eren’s hand. As the boy instinctively presses back, Levi pulls him forward and grasps his forearm. A forceful jerk has the kid tipping bodily forward, breaking his balance. Levi takes immediate advantage of this, as he slides one leg under the brunette’s torso and sends him tumbling off the bed.

The kid lands on his side, the same shoulder victim to the abuse endured throughout his fitful sleep takes the brunt of the ground. The flinch from impact gives Levi all the time he needs to descend from the bed and grab hold of the kid once more. He pins his arms behind his back while he drags him up to a sitting position, Levi now resting against the bed as he sits on the floor. He maintains control of Eren through manipulation of his arms, roughly angling the boy to sit directly in front of him. The brunette struggles all the same.

Levi releases his arms from their holdfast, and instantaneously the boy attempts to gain distance. But that’s entirely expected. He leisurely snakes his arm around Eren’s waist to force his back against Levi’s chest, then utilizes his magic to provide a crushing weight against the struggling kid. The brunette gives a few more hearty bucks and attempts to launch away from Levi before finding the endeavor futile.

Eren gives up, loosing all fight as he drops back against Levi completely. There’s a short passing of time here, where Levi gauges whether Eren is simply waiting for a better opportunity or is actually throwing in the towel. He tests the waters by reducing the pressure of his wind slightly, meanwhile drawing his legs in around Eren as a warning. The boy does not react, though he remains tense against him.

Levi figures it’s about as pleasant as it’s going to get, anymore freedom and the boy is subject to flee. “Talk.” He bites out, frustrated he’s had to stoop to this level.

Eren stubbornly remains silent and Levi cannot see the face of the taller boy to adeptly read his expression. He snatches hold of the brunette’s hair and pulls his head back to rest on his shoulder. At this angle, Levi can peer sidelong to observe at least half of the brat’s face. The kid’s carefully smoothed his expression into a blank sheet.

“Speak Fido. Neither of us move until you bark.” He grunts out, voice hoarse from irritation.

Eren gives out a short choke of a laugh. “It was a fucking nightmare, Levi. Let it go.”

“No, it wasn’t.” He responds to the indignant boy leaning against him.

“It wasn’t? You know for a fact?” The agitated brunette spits out.

“I do.” Eren’s eyes drift up to wearily observe him. “Nothing is ever that simple where it concerns you,” he justifies. The way the brunette is leaning against him with his neck stretched to the side, the gouges are particularly visible. The boy had practically ripped his skin to threads in his sleep, that was no simple nightmare.

“I think this goes a bit past your assignment, don’t you think?” Eren drawls out the question.

Levi tenses up, eyes calculating Eren’s facial features in an attempt to get a better read. _Just where the hell is this kid right now? What’s going on in that head?_

“It doesn’t necessarily invoke trust, does it?” The brunette questions as he glances away from Levi to obstinately fixate on the wall across the room.

He wants to toss the brat around a bit for the audacity, needs to break a few objects with his wind at the frustration of holding up an emotionally taxing conversation. But Eren doesn’t need any of that right now. The boy is storming a sea of his own solitude and is content to drown before accepting help. “Fucking shithead. You think an order makes a difference?” The brunette doesn’t acknowledge him and continues his rueful stare in the distance. “If I wasn’t assigned to protect you, I’d have dragged your sorry ass out of these woods long ago.”

He grabs hold of Eren’s hair again and pulls a few times until the bullhead ultimately observes him at length. “I want to help you. Me, personally. The fact that I can coincide it with my job only makes your life easier, Eren.” This causes the brunette to pull a doubtful face. “When I go to work, I drive to your house. If I had another assignment, there’s no way in hell I’d drive out to bum fuck nowhere to check up on you, and anything could happen while I was gone. We’d be having this conversation at my place instead.”

Eren’s features contort in confusion and his eyes skim Levi’s, back and forth with rapid succession, suspicion evident. “Do you understand me?” Levi’s tone is harsh and unrelenting, pissed that he has to spell out such an obvious concept.

The boy looks away from him again, but this time he sags against his chest. He lets out a sorrowful sigh and drains all the tenseness from his muscles. His head flops back against Levi’s shoulder willingly, and he goes quiet. How long they remain like this, Levi does not know. It’s enough for his ass to go numb and his legs to feel the prickling sensations of sloth. He doesn’t dare press, having agitated the brunette enough as it is for the night. Besides, he’d meant what he said.

They’ll stay like this as long as they have to until Eren starts talking.

_______________

Eren sorts his thoughts, compartmentalizing all that is capable of being lumped into a concise recollection. Distressful images flash through his mind, dreadful emotions disturb the sense of what has transpired. It’s the same one, and not the first time he’s had it, even if it doesn’t stay with him long. A dream would be mislabeling it as kind. Harsh reality would determine it as history. It’s a terrible moment in his past that usually generates little sensibility. Some nights are better than others, small tidbits of this tragedy will creep into his actual dream. They hint at the danger he’s escaped as a forewarning that more will come.

The other part- is bad. Always manages to displace his mental state, turn his world upside down and spit in his face at his failures. On those nights the recollections last longer, etch a scar into his mind in order to retain semi-permanent residency. It’s these nights that make him especially restless the next day, wandering for hours and moving until his body is raw because his mind just won’t rest.

This time, this night, _this_ recollection is different. He’s obtained more pieces to the puzzle, unlocked one single clue that’s provided the glue to his fragmented memory. The flashes of events bereft of order or logic suddenly sort themselves into a readable frame. He’s failed everyone. He's failed himself. He's failed his _father_.

And it hurts. Somehow he’d gotten in it in his mind that even if he lost the battle, he could tip the tide in their favor. Return the balance of the war and give everyone a fighting chance.

He hadn’t even managed to do that. Instead, he lays against Levi in an abandoned house that can never be called home again. He’d fled to this place to stir up more memories. Something horrendous happened here, strong enough to hopefully trigger his past. He’d been confident it would all come flooding back at once, but he’s been stuck with this one stupid fucking dream.

Thanks to Levi, he’s finally made sense of it.

“Ackerman, right?” He mumbles while continuing to gaze at nothing in particular.

“Mhm,” the ravenette softly confirms behind him. It’s rather grounding, having a warm body to lean against after the cold fear of his memory. Perhaps a bit forced at first, but in the end it was the best possible outcome. Chivalry has never been Levi’s strong suit, and as a consequence the man airs his intentions through action. That’s the one real reason Eren decided to give in.

“Mikasa’s an Ackerman…” he wonders out loud. The porcelain man swivels his head slightly to observe him. His grey eyes are especially highlighted tonight with dark black circles, enough to think it was Levi who had the nightmare and not Eren. His black eyelashes sweep into a slow blink, as if to comment the relation had not been considered. “Then yet, so is Kenny.”

Leaning as he was against the guardian, it was rather effortless to pick up the moment his muscles draw tight. His face might be well composed, his words may not immediately flow into effortless communication, but his breath hitches and the breeze picks up. Eren has finally put a name to the face in his memories, one that he remembered through the likeness of Levi.

The ravenette adjusts his position, sliding one leg down in a half criss-cross while the other remains on the ground. He props his arm up to one knee, the result leaving Eren still within the middle of his legs. This way it allows Levi to lean from the side and better study the boy.

Eren doesn’t offer more of an explanation, he doesn’t really know how. His heart is still pumping in hyper drive with his mind sluggish from the emotional strain.

“Kenny was the subject of your nightmare?” Levi churns over the name with as much reverence to a steaming pile of shit.

“Memory,” he corrects.

The raventte’s eyes narrow as he considers the remark. Eren’s guessing whatever the relation between the two, only bad blood remains. “Recent?” Levi decides to inquire.

Eren tilts his head to the side, curious at what invoked the question. “Mostly recent, I guess. Couple months ago.” Levi tightly closes his eyes as if the fact physically pains him. “Why?” Eren urges.

“Thought the world had been ridden of him a long time ago,” is his reluctant reply.

“Oh.” He turns to adorn Levi with a lopsided grin. “That was stupid, he’s like a cockroach.”

The guardian doesn’t quite smile, but there’s the barest upturn of his lips. His eyes remain hard and unreadable as he replies “you’re suggesting we should have went nuclear?”

It makes him huff a little, too tired and having too serious a conversation to actually laugh. It reminds him of how stressful this situation has been, and the tightening of Levi’s muscles against his skin alert Eren to his own rigid posture. He resolves to fix the problem and resolutely deflates against midnight.

“A few months ago you forgot who the hell you were.” Levi states the unsaid to press for more information, as Eren seems content to fall back into silence.

“Indeed,” is his brief reply.

“Don’t make me physically beat more explanations out of you.” The ravenette lifts one eyebrow as he speaks, as if he’s daring Eren to misstep.

This causes the boy to release an exaggerated sigh, then his weight shifts to the front of his body as he moves to get up. Levi almost pulls him back, arm stopping in his movement as he apparently thinks better of it. The ravenette settles to wait and watch what he does first, probably deciding it wouldn’t be much of a chase if Eren decided to run. 

Eren swivels on his knees to face Levi a mere foot away, settling back down with his legs criss-cross. Resting an elbow on his thigh to support his face in one hand, he glances at the ground and draws out the silence once more. Eyes closing slowly with the pain of his memory, his voice comes out as a soft whisper “I knew it was a trap, but I didn’t expect it to be a good one.”

It takes a moment for the implications to catch up with Levi, referring to his nightmare turned recollection, one that the brat had apparently ran headstrong into. This not only confirms he is a suicidal bastard, but that he’s had more dealings with Kenny than a simple run in. _I don’t like this at all._

“It’s not really crystal clear, probably the best we’re gonna get for now, so I’ll try to make sense of it.” His voice waivers in frustration as he runs a hand across his face.

“My dad is violently shaking me. He’s screaming, I mean _really_ trying to get across to me, but in my dream I can never hear his voice. There’s just, pain? Too much pain and it’s distracting. Nothing reaches my ears and then everything goes black. Not stagnant black. It’s liquid and it’s moving, and there’s something _wrong_ with it. Anyway, I wake up. I’m alone, and I know where I am in general but I don’t know why or how I got there. I follow the tunnels back to the chasm I started out in… where my dad was.”

 _Tunnels?_ Levi’s skin prickles as his mind makes the connections. _Shit, the brat was in the underground. How was that possible?_

“There’s blood… there’s a lot of blood. But this time it’s red,” Eren continues.

“This time? Is blood not always red, brat?” Levi inquires.

“Hmm. That’s what I meant when I said it’s choppy. Some things just make sense for me and I forget to spell it out. The black liquid… was blood? Yeah.” He answers his own question and proceeds to sit in contemplation.

A few moments pass and it becomes clear the brunette does not intend to continue. “Let’s stick to the red blood then,” Levi prods.

“What about it?” Eren inquires, clearly lost with the subject at hand.

“Who’s was it? Or are you telling me there was a mysterious amount of blood with no body?”

Eren’s expression changes abruptly, his facial features harden to glare at Levi from across the room. _Ouch, touchy._ There’s one simple problem it always comes down to when Eren gets irritated. His glares are about as threatening as a kitten, and it does nothing to keep Levi from steamrolling into his next question. “Several bodies?

“No, Levi.” He puts his face in his hand from frustration “not several bodies, Jesus.”

Okay. Apparently there was a certain amount of crass that begets the question. Not his fault he gets right down to it. Next on the agenda, he still does not know who’s fucking blood was apparently taking residence in an unknown area of the underground.

Eren lifts a hand to observe Levi with one eye. Upon gauging his insistent expression he questions “does it matter?”

Levi just quirks an eyebrow.

“Seeing as dad’s body was torn in half, probably his.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Levi. It’s obvious to everyone but Eren that he has a thing for him. Also, I realize I switched POV's in the last bit at the end there. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ It kinda worked?


	15. Break Fast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnd I'm back. Even though this is when I usually update. But my laptop took a tumble and I had to get a new one so I wasn't sure if I was going to make this post or not. But I did and I'm here!

Levi’s head rings with the sound of capricious nature pooling through the open window. The trilling of cicadas are the rise of his first irritation- the type of background noise that constantly grinds on the mind. Then the retarded fucking insects have the audacity to rise in torpor as if the incessant pitch wasn’t noticeable enough to begin with. But the birds, vociferous feathered flies, _oh they piss him off_. There’s one in particular loud enough that Levi assumes it to be perched nearby. The avian launches into a fucking cacophony at repeated intervals, reminding him of a laughing hyena, and it’s about to repeat its third compilation.

There’s one thing worse than a lack of sleep, which he’s inconveniently discovered through years of insomnia; falling asleep for more than what can be considered a nap and being woken up pre-maturely so as to not count for proper sleep. It’s these lapses when your body betrays you, delivering full retribution for continuing to run while performing on empty. His head pounds and his blood must be made of lead because his body is just too heavy. He loathes this feeling, it dulls his senses and slows his movements. Levi considers it makes him just as vulnerable as if he were sleeping. He hadn’t meant to doze for long, his eye’s had fallen on their own as he sat against the bed on the brat’s floor. Usually the few fitful bouts of rest Levi does get, he times to wake up properly, all too familiar with the reprimand of disturbing a REM cycle.

Wings cut through air and the light batting from the partition of currents reaches his ears. He closes his eyes and settles back into the plush comfort of the blanket hanging off the bed, snuggling in close. His satisfaction is enhanced as he sweeps the grounds with a single breeze, magic creating a smacking noise as he pushes anything living and willing to make dissonance out of bounds. He doesn’t think he's killed anything, then yet, it’s not too hefty a price to pay. He feels like shit and retribution is all too tempting.

Settling in and nosing his face against the soft blanket that so contrasts with the harshness of the floor, he lets his exhaustion pull him down. It’s in this plane of existence, half in the door of sopor and half awake, that Levi relishes most. A warm movement roughly pushes his arm upwards and yanks him out of this beloved state. He fully intends for the culprit to die, but upon inspection, appreciates the narrow bout of patience that allowed him to pause for inspection. Eren lays on the bed above Levi’s line of vision, precariously perched over the edge. Levi’s arm is haphazardly strewn over the boy’s body from his position on the floor, and it must have been the kid rolling over that jostled his arm. Eren continues to shift, slowly stretching his legs and rolling his torso with his eyes closed. He kicks his feet out and does a shimmy of a bicycle pedal before sluggishly plopping on one side. The boy goes still and the air remains quiet, so Levi resolves to resume his semblance of rest.

Except he’s still staring at the boy.

Eren’s hair is a tousled mess, his shirt in even more disrepair. One shoulder is almost completely exposed to enunciate his collar bone and offer a glimpse of the muscle on his biceps. The bottom of his shirt has rolled up to uncover his stomach, lithe and skinny with sun kissed skin. More importantly, it leads the eye towards the visible rise of hipbone before disappearing into the hem of his pants.

Perhaps it’s a bit compromising to be lusting after someone placed within his protection, but Levi’s always been clear on his intentions. Wants and needs are vastly different things, one of which being capable of lengthy delays. He closes his eyes to clear his mind, but the view is burned into his vision and only turns more provocative as he dwells on it.

Opening them again to rid himself of his own mental misgivings, he finds himself staring straight into viridian eyes. Levi can tell, by the slight crease to the brunette’s brows and the look of apprehension in his pensive orbs, that his memory managed to stick with him from the night before. Or maybe, his perception has more to do with Eren’s nervous hazing of fingertips over Levi’s arm than his actual expression. Unfortunately, Levi gives himself away by looking at the nimble ghosting in action. The kid pulls his hand back like it’s been burned and stares confusedly at the affronted appendage. He then glares from the arm still slung around him, to Levi, and then back again in an accusatory manner.

“Morning brat.” The ravenette offers without regard to the current situation.

Apparently ignoring the awkwardness is the right thing to do. Eren replies in a much more unarmed “uh, morning?”

That’s que enough for Levi to carry on as he was, returning his head to the makeshift pillow the blanket overhang offers. The luxury of sleep is a promise slowly dwindling, as the brat continues to impede the silence.

“Hey, Levi?”

He opts to not respond, hoping the boy will catch the hint and let him rest. There’s a shifting as Eren dislodges the blankets around him and scuffles about on the bed. Levi lifts his head just enough to shoot a look of ire, only to be thrown off by the close proximity. Eren’s adjusted to lay horizontal across the bed, his face uncannily close to Levi’s, less than a measurable foot away from his face as he lays curled on his side.

“Why did you stay?” The brunette questions.

It’s at this angle, the brat’s head resting on his forearm with his legs sprawled long and his hip enunciated by its protrusion against the bed, that Levi wonders if Eren understands how provocative of a position he’s taken up. This then leads to the internal questioning of whether or not he’s chaste. His actions are bold yet innocent, and though his choice of words and body language could easily be misconstrued as flirtation, Eren is sincere with his question. It would be hard pressed to overlook how someone with sexual experience could not realize the charged instigation of their own body language.

This then begs the question, could Eren have a repertoire of experience under his belt, but considering the current circumstances, does not necessarily recall such encounters? This would more than explain the innocence he portrays that’s always underlined by a surmountable confidence. Levi wants to kick himself. Not for questioning the sexual experience of his trustee, but the idea that the current Eren he interacts with on a daily basis is not the _real_ Eren. He perpetually jests at his age, yet he hadn’t considered that without the memories of numerous past experiences, Eren’s personality is as novel as it gets.

There’s a phantom swell of breath on his arm that refocuses his attention. Eren is openly staring a him in annoyance, having shot a breath of hot air in his direction to gain attention. It’s childish, yet the cool assurance to his demeanor and patient reception for an answer hints at maturity. Perhaps, subconsciously, the real Eren still has a great deal of influence on his mannerisms.

“It’d be pretty fucked of me to leave, don’t you think?” He quells the brat’s petulance with his own question.

Eren hums and seems to think on it for a moment before nodding in agreement. He opens his mouth to speak, but a gentle 'thunk' on the door pulls his train of thought. Before he has time to look in the direction of the disturbance, the hinges can already be heard swinging open. Armin staggers into the room with clumsy steps and he blearily rubs at his eyes. The blonde’s focus is on the ground as he waddles up to the foot of the bed, and upon reaching satisfaction with clearing his vision, begins to blink a few sluggish times.

“Hey Ere- oh. Good morning Captain.” Armin offers a polite nod in Levi’s direction before he’s occupied by an impressive yawn. Seemingly nonplussed by Levi’s presence, his attention veers to the easy distraction of the massive yard beyond the open window.

“What is it Armin?” The brat lightly interrupts his day dreaming.

“Hmm?” Continuing his halcyon gazing out the window, Armin does not seem to be awake enough to uphold a conversation.

It’s clear to Levi that Eren must be adeptly experienced with the coconut head’s slow rise as he patiently rewords his question. “Good morning Armin. What’s up?”

“Oh. Yes, morning. I was just planning on bothering you if you were awake.” To which Eren cracks a lopsided smile and obviously eyes his lethargic friend still dressed in night clothes. “Well, okay I may have been hoping you were still asleep so I could crawl in bed with you.”

Levi looks between the two at the boldness of the previous statement, but quickly concludes the communication to be platonic familiarity of childhood friendship. Besides, Armin looks sorely upset over his lost chance of a warm snuggle partner as opposed to jealousy of another in his place. The blond’s yet to appear anything but sloppy tired, not even a shocked or curious look thrown in Levi’s direction.

Eren stands up and stretches, not moving far from Levi. This creates a problem, as the ravenette’s mind seems to remain in the gutter. His position on the floor leaves him at eye level with the brat’s hips, as if they haven’t managed to distract him enough.

“Make breakfast with me?” The brunette tosses out towards Armin, thankfully unaware of the location of Levi’s focus.

“Sure!” The blonde happily chirps. Loud exclamations appear to be the signal that Armin is alert and conscious as his face quickly morphs into careful consideration. “Wait a second. Eren, when’s the last time you ate?”

Levi reduces to planting his head back against the side of the bed. _Shit, seems we all dropped the ball on that._ What with ocean eyes taking off all the time, the matter of his deflated appetite had gone completely forgotten.

“Dunno, bacon sound good?” Eren strides over to the doorway as he flippantly brushes over the matter. “You cook I cheer.”

Armin shakes his head and smiles. “How did I get conned into this?”

The cadet follows Eren out of the room and Levi is finally left some peace and quiet. Except, the edges of exhaustion are gone by now and he’s fully attentive. There would be no going back to sleep for the remainder of the morning and his mind is buzzing over the matter of his slip up. It’s not like him to forget such a crucial imperative, people do need to consume nutrients to survive. However, he’s never been in quite the unusual position before where he’s transgressed the boundary of protection and crossed into a partial role of caretaker.

The course of time since he had his first run through of Eren’s situation from his companions was only a few weeks ago. Yet, Levi has to sit and sort his recollections of the past conversation as the event’s gone stale in his mind. _Was it Eren’s constant wanderlust that kept him from eating and that was why he had to be persistently reminded?_ He supposes since the kid’s been at the house, his wanderings have been more concisely compacted. More importantly, and the conclusion he’s attempting to deduce, is whether or not the cause of his memory loss also has the potential of suppressing his hunger.

He never does draw to a sound judgement, because during this musing his eyes rove over the brat’s bed, mostly unseeing. This is precisely why it takes a prolonged period of time to recognize the unnerving observation that the fibers of the sheets and the plush fabric of the comforter are pristine. Well, in cleanliness rather than tidiness. Messy and unraveled, Eren hadn’t bothered to make his bed before leaving. This won’t due at all, he knows he won’t be able to leave it alone without the constant fretting of disorder in the back of his mind. Neatness aside, there are no signs of bloodshed. Come to think of it, Eren didn’t have any evidence of the previous self-inflicted gore from the night beforehand.

He has enough time to conclude that absolutely nothing about this kid makes a lick of sense before his ringtone break into song. Retrieving the phone and glancing at the caller ID, Levi swipes the answer icon.

_Shitty eyes. Lets hope you’ve got something good._

_____________

His bare feet sink into the lush moss lining the dirt of the path. The earth draws the warmth from his body each time contact is made, yet regeneration of the heat is maintained by the very effort of his walk. The sensation is equal parts soft and jarring, having bundled up in a jacket and long pants as Armin had suggested. His friend’s mother hen side came out when Eren had pleaded with the blonde to let him take a quick stroll.

Levi had left for the day, nominating the coconut head as the dedicated baby sitter of the hour. They’d made an extravagant breakfast, and by they, he means Armin. Eren hadn’t done much in the way of helping, especially when a few pieces of bacon were burnt by his shenanigans. The previous night had been a mentally taxing one, images weighed on his mind that would benefit being cast aside for the moment. So he’d harassed and entertained his chef to the point of being a nuisance because it gave him something else to think about.

It was so very easy to convince Armin to let him wander. Mikasa is as unmovable as stone, and he’s not stupid enough to believe Levi doesn’t use his elemental magic to locate him periodically. He can never really wander free then, he has to time his trip into intervals, making sure he’s in an obscure location on the hour so Levi doesn’t detect the new guest house. When Armin gives him a time limit instructing to be back in a certain frame, it’s loose and negotiable. More importantly, Eren doesn’t have to waste time being in the right location when needed.

Of course, he’d started out with boots on. Armin would fuss up a storm if he’d dared to leave the house without suitable gear. But Armin doesn’t have eyes on the wind, and Eren removed the articles the second he was out of sight. The smell of wet earth on the air, the rustle of wind through the trees, the dance of light created by the foliage- these were all the same. The trees were still massive, the lichen and moss and green things all around were still thriving. Everything was the same, and to Eren that meant no progress. So rationally, he took his shoes off. He didn’t want to broach that unsteady head space today, not after what he’d been through the night before. It was just about the only thing he could think of for a change of pace besides stripping completely. Perhaps that would have been a bit too freeing. It helped, gave him another distraction of nuance up until the arrival of his destination.

Here he now sat in the same place as always within the confines of the woman’s crude home. A few makeover improvements were evident, she must intend to stay for a while longer. The frame of the structure and haphazard roofing of weaved foliage were no longer visible. It appeared she had twined together sticks to form a bamboo-like screen, though perhaps it is not the right comparison. You’d be sparse to find bamboo in these woods. Species distribution aside, the spaces between the sticks had been insulated with pacts of moss. It looked like a cozy witches den, and if the smell of cookies were to waft over from that shelter Eren would be more than obliged to investigate.

This was not Hansel and Gretel, however disappointing that may be. At least a witch luring him with tasty treats would be a reprieve from what has become the normal. He’s surrounded by the same boring clustering of gnarled trees that have long since lost their luster due to inactivity. The deft familiarity of his scenery does not contain his attention. A quick sweep of the eyes now and then remind Eren of this stagnant familiarity- except this time the girl is standing across from him. Much like the night she first appeared, Eren rubs at his eyes in confusion to ensure it’s no trick of the imagination. Also, much like that first night, she remains after the infantile test. This is really happening, she’s actually here in the flesh. Eren didn’t expect anything out of the norm to transpire when he’d left for his walk, but hope he still had. In retrospect, he must not have had too high of hopes, because he hadn’t thought of what he’d do upon an encounter. In fact, he is positively clueless as to how to proceed.

The blonde woman stands a mere few yards away from him, boldly asserting her presence but cautious enough to maintain a gap. The air contains an awkward pressing silence that feels like a physical barrier, pushing her further away than the distance in actuality. He mutely stares in confusion, caught off guard and unsure of how to react.

So he says nothing. The boring surroundings suddenly become very interesting, as it’s easier to empty his gaze on objects that cannot return the reciprocal. And somehow, this works. They just stay like that, waving a strangely mute white flag. She doesn’t appear intent on chatting up a conversation, and Eren has done too much talking lately. He wants his answers, but now isn’t the time to get them.

His phone buzzes in his pocket, Armin most likely texting him a warning that he’d better start heading back. As nice as it’s been to simply accept each others presence, this encounter can’t particularly leave off without some semblance of a breakthrough. It’s the unfortunate consequence of his predicament, sometimes he’s forced to just suck it up. _Except the sometimes part is turning into a lot of times._

“Hi,” he lamely bids out, as if he hadn’t been within chatting distance all this time. It’s unmet with a response so he curses his luck and tries again. “I’m Eren.”

“I know.” Her voice is dull and lacking as if there's nobody home.

“Okay. Well, uhm. You are?” It’s more of a lame attempt than before and he’s sort of embarrassed by his question. Looking directly at her as the focal of his attention, the tiny waves and ripples of that strange black essence become more tangible around her body.

“You don’t know?” The inquisitive notion is dropped, monotonous voices sort of lack that upper lilt at the end of the sentence to indicate a question.

“There’s a lot of things I don’t remember.” He carefully monitors her magic, but it appears to be benignly hanging around. _Perhaps it’s a show of passive aggressive self-defense?_

“Are you fucking stupid?” Somehow it’s more offensive without enunciation, he weirdly wishes for the hostility that normally accompanies such a sentence. It also doesn’t help to formulate a response as he sits there dumbly. “You sought an enemy out blind,” there’s a flicker of inky blackness that coincides with a slight look of agitation. Other than that, her magic remains tame. It’s comparative to the black substance he’d detected with Mikasa, only hers had been tinted purple and tightly coiled to her core.

“I’m not so sure you are the enemy,” is his distracted response as he tries to make sense of what he’s seeing.

She steps back. It’s small, the movement extremely subtle. But for a woman constrictive in composure it’s quite the loudspeaker. Once again, he can’t help but compare her to Mikasa.

“My point,” she begins after regaining her atomicity, “you have no defense in an uncanny situation.”

“So teach me.” He shrugs as he speaks, attempting to express how easy the concept would be to perform.

The blonde woman does not choose to answer and eyes him unimpressed.

“You build a comfy bed in there out of moss too?” He nods in the direction of her natural creation.

Another dull look and lack of response.

“Well then, Ms. No Name, how about I give you a blanket?” He cocks his head back against the massive tree consisting of his backrest while he waits for an answer. She’s persistent, he’ll give her that. The answer never comes. “Trade off? I’ll work on shaping up this humble abode, and in turn you’ll teach me a little self defense.”

It’s a large shot in the dark and he honestly doesn’t expect her to take it. Therefore, when she makes a subtle nod of her head in the direction of a yes, Eren can’t help but beam in excitement. And this smile, it must do something to reduce her suspicion, as she takes a seat on the bare ground across from him.

Eren’s heart is soaring at the idea of the verbal peace treaty they just signed. More importantly, the progress he’s made to find out what the hell is going on. This woman must not have anywhere else to go, to make camp on enemy land. Whatever relation they had in the past, it may have been a brief one for her to consider talking with him. More than likely not a great stretch- seeing as she did try to kill him based off it. But hey, everyone deserves a second chance.

Second chances walk on eggshells, evident from her immediate suspicion at the sound of his phone vibrating at length in his pocket.

Shit, Armin is calling him. He holds one hand out placatingly in the air, and slowly draws his phone out from his pocket without sudden movements. The blonde woman’s eyes narrow in a warning, the black murky magic drifting further out.

“If I don’t answer he’ll come looking for me. Or at least lower my chances of getting out of the house again to zero.” His voice trails off in a bummed manner at the realization Armin would very easily mention it to Levi. The ravenette is tersely strict as it is, and he’s like to tell Eren where he can shove it for not following orders next time he attempts to get out of the blasted manor.

His finger hovers over the green icon as he looks to his guest for approval. She doesn’t say anything, and translating this in terms of Mikasa’s mannerisms, this does not mean a protest. So he answers the phone and makes it brief, letting Armin know he’s headed back now.

Of course, his eavesdropper is also aware now of his intended departure, so he makes a steady stand and waves a farewell hand in her direction. “I’ll see you when I can, I guess.” Then, as an afterthought “can I get a name though? It’s better than mentally labeling you as ‘blonde lady living in the woods’”.

“Annie.” She responds, short and simple.

“Well then, nice to meet you again Annie. See you around.” He doesn’t look for a reaction to his alluding at their deadly first encounter. Instead, he works his way out of the woods as intended. His trek back is quick, and a lot less boring as his mind soars with positivity. At the last bend in the gravel road before the house becomes visible, he pauses to put his boots back on.

Crossing the lawn and entering the foyer, for once he feels that he’s on the precipice of beginning the journey to unraveling his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somewhere later in the day Armin sips on a mug of coffee only to spurt it out as he realizes Levi was sleeping in Eren’s room. On the floor? He doesn’t know what to make of this so he just continues to sip his caffeine with wide eyes and questions the universe. (Mikasa wouldn’t be surprised, she’s already guessed at the two as hinted in chapter 8. Very subtly hinted.)


	16. Thread

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhhh I'm late. I blame the holidays. Throws chapter out on a *hisses* Monday.

“Eren made me make breakfast and didn’t even help,” Armin verbalizes in contrition to their peacekeeper of a sister.

“Hey, you make it sound like I twisted your arm. Come on Mika, don’t look at me like that.” Eren pleads as the silent beauty gives him an unimpressed look.

“I believe his exact words were; ‘you cook I cheer’,” Armin tattles. “He didn’t even offer to make me something in return,” the sentence is accompanied with a pout and fake sniffling to act the part of insulted.

“Eren, cook him breakfast next.” Mikasa shakes her head and shrouds a smile behind her scarf.

Heavy footsteps cause a temporary pause in the conflict as the distraction turns their attention to the sound. Levi ascends the stairwell while adeptly buttoning the last line of his shirt. The extra weight to the sound of his descent derives from the hefty boots he’s chosen to clad up. The Captain’s attire offers the persuasion he’s leaving on business, which is verified by his next statement. “Mikasa. I put you in charge to watch the brat, not to enact child labor.”

“Ha-ha. Very funny, more age jokes.” Eren rolls his eyes at Levi, but Armin stops his tantrum short by plopping plump white eggs and a pile of assorted vegetables in front of him.

“I’d like an omelet please,” the cute blonde beams in retribution.

Eren smiles reluctantly and drags the pile closer to him in acceptance. He wanders around the kitchen acquiring a cutting board, knife, and other proper cooking utensils. “Where are you going Levi?” he asks while simultaneously pointing to the number of eggs he’s dived out and signaling to Mikasa if she’d like some.

“Out.” The guardian doesn’t bother to make up an explanation.

Eren offers a glare in his direction, but continues to sort the vegetables by hardest texture to chop and add to the heat of fire first. He opts for the green pepper, as the damn vegetable always takes twice as long as he’s patient for.

It seems Eren isn’t the only one who’s interest is piqued at Levi’s task. Mikasa draws close and mumbles a few things, the only words he’s capable of picking up are “please be careful.”

Evidently, Armin hears this too as he inquires about the comment. “Be careful with what? Sir, where _are_ you going?” The coconut head looks concerned, mostly because Mikasa’s concerned. She’s never one to overreact, meaning there’s a validity to her worry.

Levi hesitates for a moment and glances at Eren, as if contemplating how much to say in front of him. Deciding it wasn’t worth the effort of going around him, he responds “Hanji gave me a lead.”

“I’m going.” Eren demands.

“No. You’re not.” Levi doesn’t so much as look at him.

“Yes, I am-”

“Eren, knock it off.” Armin surprisingly interjects with his say-so despite his usually placating personality. Redirecting his attention to Levi, he adds with all seriousness “we need to know some semblance of your general whereabouts and a time frame. You’re not investigating without backup, are you?” It seems someone has turned the cadet switch of Armin’s functions on, as his manners abruptly change from his previous childish complaints to a soldier of the Survey Corps.

“That’s not necessary, I’m meeting with an informant,” the guardian responds.

“Yes, and that is all the more reason you need to have additional eyes and ears. Statistically, sixty percent of all exchanges in the form of a knowledge bid proves to be a set-up.” Armin crosses his arms in an unusual show of taking his stance.

“So I’ll be his backup.” Eren hadn’t bothered with starting much of his cooking since the beginning of the conversation, and now he wishes he had. It would’ve at least given him something to do besides awkwardly squirm at the three pairs of eyes boring into him. If crickets were a part of the entomology in this band of the woods, you would have heard them chirping. “Alright, rude.” He perseveres through the muteness in an attempt to disarm the mood. “I know how to read people. We don’t even have to talk to them yet, and I’d be able to tell from a distance if it’s a trap.”

He’s met with more blank stares, and he’s starting to feel a pit well up in his stomach. “What? Body language is more telling than any verbal interaction,” he continues to persuade his unresponsive comrades. It’s of no use, his gut dropping more without their support, not understanding why they won’t put their faith in him. “Come on Mikasa, back me up!”

His sister pauses, taking a moment to fix the end of her shirt cuff. Her eyes facing down without the courage to dishearten him straight on, she softly voices “Levi is adeptly experienced to do that too.”

It’s quiet in the kitchen and Eren gets the feeling his party is embarrassed for him. Everyone refuses to meet his eyes and the atmosphere is no longer fun and playful. “Guys, really. I can help.” He shoots out in chagrin, hoping to appeal to the masses.

He’s rewarded with more silence, humiliated and hurt by how useless they must think he is. He’s not capable of defending himself against the phantasmal nature of magic, and he doesn’t have enough reliable experience with hand to hand combat to be purposeful in a fight. The silence grows more awkward and pressing, bearing a heavy hand to submit his cessation of excuses. But Eren’s not ready to give up. Meekly, he ushers out one last offer to remain on some level of equal stature with his companions. “I can tell you if it’s the truth or not.”

It’s not the excited reaction he was hoping for, but they at least grace him with a look in his direction. “More than that too,” he hurries quickly with an aptness to maintain their fleeting attention. “Mikasa, you said it yourself. All you have to do is ask me the right questions, right? Well, maybe I need to hear the right statements too.”

“Statements I can relay to you when I get back,” Levi wastes no time in shutting down his advance.

“No, really Levi-”

“Eren.” Mikasa’s voice is soft and placating as she cuts off his next supplication. “Please accept it,” she says in reference to his dismissal, harboring pity for him to not outright define the term. “We need to convene with the Captain before he leaves to ensure he gets back safely. Will you allow this without too much trouble?”

It’s humiliating in the manner Mikasa asks for his compliance, like a mother confirming with their child that they’re going to behave. It makes Eren feel so much smaller than he already does, cast out of the decision making in his very own investigation on his life. Unfortunately, for now he has no choice but to acquiesce. He doesn’t know enough on his own to not require their help, and it’s out of his hands now to rebuke their involvement. He dismally goes back to his vegetables and dejectedly starts chopping the green pepper before him. Armin leaves his side to join Levi and Mikasa, but not before giving Eren a consoling squeeze on the shoulder in passing. It’s meant as a conciliatory notion, but only makes Eren feel more like a child.

The three of them huddle together, moving away to stand at the entryway to the kitchen. The effort of course, only excludes him further. Mikasa and Armin have their backs displayed to him, the guardian distinctively visible as he faces the two. He can’t eavesdrops from this distance, and unfortunately, won’t be able to read facial expressions. If Mikasa, or even better, Armin, were to face him- well, then he wouldn’t have needed to hear the conversation. With Levi as his only lead, he’s as good as cut off. Eren knows statues that are more expressive.

So he casts his eyes down and does his best to pretend as if he hadn’t just been nominated unworthy to partake in their discussion. The first bite of the knife into the pepper feels wrong, as if he’s depreciating his self worth through the action itself. Despite this, he continues to work the motion, every arch of the blade shouting for his protest only to be inevitably shot down through the chop of material that sounds defeat. Lost in self pity, he makes the conscious decision to pay no mind to the task at hand. He goes about cutting with numb acceptance, wishing his person were miles away from his position. And miles away from the event that had just denigrated his merit.

A folly, as it soon proves, when he completes his chopping of the green pepper and moves on to the onion without actively realizing the transaction. The softer vegetable gives little resistance to the knife, but without actively perceiving his target he hadn’t adjusted the force of his downward blow. He feels the difference in material sliced by the knife before he physically detects the pain, sliding through fast and seamless. It’s too late to amend his pressure of the cut, the knife meeting hard resistance as it practically chops through the bone of his finger.

His eyes widen infinitesimally, but the blood that begins to spot on the cutting board doesn’t shake his melancholy and mechanical state of mind. He merely places the knife on the counter and binds the open wound with the first resource available- his now free hand. Making quick assessment of his environment, Eren’s eyes flit to the meeting of minds in which he was cast out. He’s only minutely thankful through his automatized motions that just one pair of eyes are in range of his vision, the others having graced him with the view of their backs. Levi is not currently looking at him though, affording him time to right his mistake.

Except it’s comedic, in an entirely unappreciated irony, how the intellection of time through his offhanded thoughts appear to draw their very unwanted attention. More so ironic, because up until that moment he’d been upset over the shunning derived from the lack of said attention. It starts with Mikasa, who harbors a sort of sixth sense for when Eren performs his typical, uncanny knack to meet trouble head on and shake hands.

He sees the immediate jerk of her spine to stand ramrod straight, notifying him the exact timing of when she perceives that strange phenomenon of connection between the two of them. Which would have bought him plenty of time still to turn away undetected, except Levi is highly perceptive to her change in demeanor and his eyes land on Eren’s in a heartbeat.

Grey eyes trail down to the incident hovering above the counter, Eren’s hand stemming back the flow of blood from his foolishness. At this point, his hand is completely coated in crimson, rivets of red running down his arm. There’s really quite a lot of blood, wounds tend to look much worse than they actually are because of the liquid volume. Nothing he isn’t used to, and nowhere near close to the mass that would tug at the faint of heart. Quickly assessing his options, he determines Levi to not be one unfamiliar with this very concept, and ponders how well he can get away with his mishap by adeptly dealing with the wound himself.

Luckily, he’d thought to draw his hand away from the cutting board so the blood pools down the wooden sides of the island, effectively hidden from view. More importantly, the few drops on the cutting board itself are minuscule, and as long as Mikasa doesn’t see his hand he can still downplay the inconvenient accident.

He makes the quick decision to turn away just as his peripherals pick up the stoic beauty beginning to swivel in his direction. Calmly taking measured steps to the sink in an effort to reduce alarm, he calls back over his shoulder “don’t get anxious Mikasa. It’s just a small cut.”

He mentally thanks his father for the excessive size of everything in the house, the double wide sink deep enough to hide the entirety of his forearm from view as he washes away the evidence of blood from his flesh. He keeps tabs on Mikasa, who’s inspecting the petite blobs of blood present on the cutting board from the opposite side of the island. “See, small cut.” He reassures while flicking his attention to Levi and narrowing his eyes to convey ‘don’t you squeal’.

Directing his attention back to the pressing matter of his damaged appendage now rinsed of blood, he shuts the tap off. It’s just his luck that he’s able to discern the white of bone for a split second before more fluid gushes out from his finger. This won’t be a quick fix, but it’s still nothing to cry over. As if he hadn’t embarrassed himself enough already, now this incident will make him appear more incompetent than they’d perceived him as before. Using the best resources in the vicinity while thinking on his toes, he sacrifices a clean dish towel and presses tightly against the wound while he rummages through the cabinets.

His sister makes her way closer to his side, standing a few feet away from the the gore dripping down the wood of the island. She doesn’t take notice, her attention honed on Eren in concern as she demands “let me see.”

He has no intention of letting her see how close he’d come to loosing the digit, but thankfully doesn’t have to blunder an excuse to stall. He’d found the drawer he was looking for. That cluttered, mismatched drawer that every household maintains for useless junk nonfit of kitchen use. Instead of the usual rubble of batteries, crinkled notebooks, and old pens with little ink left, the contents in this cabinet will fulfil a specific purpose. His dad, being in the medical field, composed his self-proclaimed junk drawer with first aid supplies, plus a little extra.

“Honestly Mika,” he responds sedately because an obtainable solution is at hand. “You don’t want to see it.”

This sets her in motion, hurrying her gait towards him only to stop with a startle at the sound of Armin yelling.

“OH MY- Oh my god! Eren!” The blonde exclaims, having rounded their side of the island for closer inspection, but his ever observant mind immediately takes note of the blood trickling down the counter. Consequently, he’d just pointed it out to Mikasa.

It doesn’t dissuade his placid attitude, having located the anesthetic and medical sutures. In fact, he’s already completed his first cross stitch, proficiently piercing through his skin with the needle as he threads the flesh together. His focus is expended to mending the gap of exposed bone, but he affords himself a moment to stay alert of his surroundings in preparation for the expected presence of his sister from the left.

That’s why it’s fully unanticipated to feel the warm presence of someone within close proximity on his right.

Eren looks up promptly in surprise to determine Levi had gone around the opposite side of the island to reach him. How long he’d been that close, he wasn’t sure, as Levi had been the first to see the severity of the wound. The guardian’s currently leaning in close to watch his progress with the stitches, but doesn’t intervene. Not until Eren feels a similar presence on his other side, the one he’d been expecting, to which Levi steps back slightly and places his arm behind Eren.

“Stop.” Levi’s voice is steady and his arm just grazes the back of Eren’s as he uses the appendage to keep Mikasa at bay. “Let him finish.”

“Done.” He bites off the tail end of the thread after tying it into a knot and moves to the sink to wash away the remains of escaped blood. The tinkling of water against the metal of the basin is roaring in the silence, the others noncommittal as the crimson rinses to clear and his handiwork of sutures is exposed. Picking up the bottle of antiseptic he’d used to sterilize his tools, he now douses his finger in a hearty dosage with the ease of practice. The familiar burn doesn’t so much as cause a flinch, and then he’s allocating gauze to wrap the wound tightly, ensuring no small manner of bleeding will disturb him for the rest of the day.

Mikasa hovers beside him, her presence tangible though he doesn’t dare meet her eyes. Mortified enough already from his previous exclusion, he makes to clean up the shit show of a mess he’s created by the simple task of cooking breakfast. He hadn’t actually gotten to the cooking part yet, which only returns the uncomfortable pit that had formed in his gut from before.

He grabs the cutting board and rinses off what little blood managed to accumulate, then washes it with soap and water. Under the sink, he grabs the bottle of bleach and leaves the instrument to soak. He makes his way over to the side of the island to inspect the damage, seeing that most of the blood had begun to absorb into the grain of the intricately carved wood. He can practically feel the scrutiny of pressure from the consistently silent occupants of the room, once again judging him inept. 

And again in repetition, he moves to disprove this, fumbling under the cabinets of the sinks and retrieving a handful of rags. He swipes a bottle of hydrogen peroxide from the so called ‘junk drawer’ on his way back to the counter. Eren starts by using a clean cloth to remove any excess blood that had yet to seep into the wood. When the rag no longer absorbs what hasn’t coagulated, he opts for the cleaning solution. It really is the miracle catch all when it comes to blood stains, especially relatively fresh ones. The peroxide decomposes in human blood, changing its chemical composition to oxygenate the stale and drying crimson substance. The solidifying blood liquefies once again, making the concept of cleaning more obtainable. Pouring the chemical down the side of the island instantly morphs the browning body fluid into foam. He continues to wipe away the excess foam as it perforates from the wood grain and rinses out the cloth.

The end result is mostly immaculate, a few discernible streaks here and there if you knew what you were looking for. He bites his pride and resists the urge to flee as he’s determined to prove himself somewhat useful. So he goes back to cooking, having discarded the onion and starting with a fresh one. Nobody says anything, and the echo of his knife hitting his newly acquired cutting board rings out like thunder.

Suddenly there’s a warm disturbance on his right again, but Eren doesn’t dare fully acknowledge it. He’s taken enough coddled disappointment for the day and it hasn’t even properly started yet. Ruefully ignoring the presence, he petulantly continues his task. _Thunk, thunk, thunk._ There’s a pause for him to scrape the minced vegetables to the side as he obtains a new one. _Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk._

“Get your shit Eren, lets go.” It’s Levi’s voice resounding next to him, pinpointing the ravenette as the warm body that recently sidled up to him.

Eren narrows his eyes in defiance, creating what looks like a very angry chef who wishes to express to the naughty vegetables his disdain. “I dressed the wound fine, thank you. It doesn’t need medical attention.”

“Not that, brat.” He feels Levi’s elbow lightly brush against him as he folds his arms across his chest. From his peripherals, the porcelain man is parallel to his side, leaning with his back against the island. He doesn’t dare look directly at him, nor does he have much of the energy to question him.

“I’m about ten minutes late now, shithead. I can’t rightly leave you behind if you manage to find calamity in basic household objects.”

__________________________

Subtle bumps in the road ground Levi to his task as driver while the majority of his mind is left free to wander. It’s a damn decent day, the clouds are abundant and the wind is harsh on the horizon. He passes fields of grasslands surrounding the small country road they occupy. Mostly, he’s gently persuaded to let the breeze’s ripples on the grass lull him into complacency. Every now and then he’s tempted to form playful spirals with his own magic, increasing the fervor of the peaceful cacophony of green blades against blades.

He thinks the kid notices when he does intervene on the wind. How, he doesn’t know. It shouldn’t be possible.

Now Armin, that cadet could easily deduce the presence of a wind mage and a few erratic swivels of air painted across the grass as too coincidental. But Levi’s been adeptly monitoring the brat since the unusual incident this morning, the brunette appearing engrossed in the serene environment passing by. When Levi initially snagged a snippet of air to twist into whimsy, Eren had looked up for the first time from his window gazing. It wasn’t anything as obvious as turning to stare at him or his visible disruption on the air, he’d simply raised his head in his direction without looking away from the passenger side window. Curiously so, not condemning enough to dwell on.

Levi hadn’t thought much on it until the scenario repeated itself. It really was nothing more than a good mood and a boring side quest for Levi, to play on the grass with the wind like so. Suddenly, at the boy’s interest, it became much more than that. It was another aspect of Levi’s job to unravel just who this brat was and what he was capable of.

So he puts it to the test. The ravenette grasps onto the fierce wind partitioning from the speed of the vehicle and disperses it into the grassland. He does this in an obvious manner, carving geographic shapes that disappear in length as the air moves past without a trace. All the while he side eyes the boy, watching for a reaction. He doesn’t get what he was hoping to achieve. The excitement and childish thrill that would have lit up Eren’s face is not present, only the briefest of placating acknowledgments by a half smile on his face. Other than that, the brunette continues to stare out the window.

He’s been in this passively docile mood after what happened in the kitchen. It’s unnerving and Levi desperately wishes to break it. Ocean eyes had yet to look in his direction and it just wasn’t satisfying.

Eren returns what little angle he’d allotted in Levi’s direction back to his empty staring. At this que, Levi immediately summons back the exhalation of element and pools the current into wavy spirals. This etches a massive whorl pool into the waist high grass around them, a disturbance that could not be mistaken for anything other than a supernatural phenomenon. He’s rewarded with the emerald depth’s of the brat’s eyes. There’s a slight pang in Levi’s chest that he attempts to brush off without the recognition of excitement, surprise, or any hint to joy.

The orbs carry more of a question, Eren asking ‘what are you doing?’ without wasting the energy of moving his mouth. The brunette’s eyes flick quickly across Levi’s face as he remains silent, and having been convinced he wouldn’t receive an answer, goes back to his daydreaming.

That hadn’t quite invoked the response he’d been hoping for.

It did, however, answer one of his questions. Eren’s head had distractedly wavered in Levi’s direction just as he’d taken hold of the breeze, yet before he’d dispersed it into the surrounding greenery. Somehow, this kid can detect when he activates his magic, not just when it’s physically moved. To reinforce the concept, he starts the thrum of his power over again. He can feel the ability at the beck of his fingertips, commanded by his very being. But he does not use it, simply holds it there in complacency.

It works, his little set up. The brunette rewards him again with the acknowledgment of his eyes and even feels compelled the encounter is worth the strain on his mouth to form words. “Really Levi, what are you doing?” His voice is flat and leveled, as if striking up casual conversation about the weather. _Well, in a way he had._

Levi hums and taps his fingers on the steering wheel as he contemplates a response to get the most benefit for his number. “Doing what,” he drawls playfully while casting an inquisitive look “Eren?”

Viridian green squints in confusion, his eyebrows drawn together in exasperation. “What? Levi, you’re-”

He stops suddenly, eyeing the unseen force surrounding Levi. Except, to Eren, it is probably more within the seen realm. The boy's confusion melts into suspicion, as the kid looks to Levi, then around him where his magic is pooling, then back again. His face smooths out as he quickly distances himself from the conversation and he goes back to window watching.

This is fine with the ravenette, he hadn’t expected much from the boy. Levi needed a confirmation to his suspicions, and he got it. Thankfully, it’d broken some of the baleful suspense in the car, thus allowing Levi to broach the subject of this morning.

“How’d you know to use hydrogen peroxide?” The chemical reacts with blood to bubble it out of the surface and easily remove stains. A well known fact in his line of business, at least for those tasked with the job of clean up.

“Is it really that big of a deal?” Eren desolately responds.

“No,” is his short response. Eren turns to eye him suspiciously once more, caught off guard by the sudden lack of interest. “What is a more concerning ordeal,” he looks directly at the brat to express his solemnization. “Is your reaction to the pain. Or rather, lack of.” He continues to bore into Eren, scrutinizing his reaction.

“You do know who my father is, yes?” The pesky brat rolls his eyes “it’s not surprising.”

“Not surprising, I said concerning.” Levi continues to blatantly ignore the road in favor of his visual dissection of the boy. It actually comes as both descriptors, Eren’s response revealing information about his allusive father, indicating some relationship with either pain, blood, chemicals, or cleanup. But Levi could not diverge from his current path now, he had to prove a point. Besides, Levi wasn’t entirely convinced Eren didn’t know himself what he was talking about either. Probably another fleeting epiphany from the past that quickly disappeared once questioned.

“I… I guess I’m not following.” Eren quirks his head to the side like an inquisitive puppy. It does all the more to break the strings pulling at Levi’s heart.

He sighs, heavy and defeated as he returns his attention back to the road. “Eren. You shouldn’t be so familiar with it.” Quieter, more of an afterthought than a proper explanation “you should not have been exposed to whatever made you accustomed to pain.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hydrogen peroxide works wonders on blood stains. I know this from experience and I learned it from my mother. Apparently, when she was a kid she went home with one of her friends from school to find her dad lying dead on the kitchen floor. He'd had an aneurism and was bleeding from his ears. My mom stayed behind to clean the place while he was rushed away with the family in an ambulance, so they at least didn't have to come back to it.


	17. Esoteric

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren's in a mood and turns out Levi's a bit protective.

The perpetual enclave of grasslands were fascinating when they initiated their travels, not often does Eren chance the opportunity to observe yawning expanses as far as the horizon. It has a cleaving effect, splitting the Earth into two hemispheres. The lowermost green with grass in which the massive range of the blue sky rests atop. They’ve been driving in the car several hours now, having long passed the familiar stretch of woods Eren currently nominates as his home.

The ambiance is much the same when they at long last protract themselves from the car. This is foreign territory to him visually, but instinctively Eren knows he’s been here before. Not that there are any clues to go by, the instances occupied by monitoring the scenery has been unvaried for miles.

Dust kicks in the air from sun baked dirt, bantam particulates eroded to the point of uplifting. Gravel rocks intermixed with the loose, dry soil is the only grounding foundation preventing the crude backroad from wearing away. As his shoes crunch on broken stones and the wind lightly snares at his clothing, he watches the gentle sway of the long grasses. The sounds are different without the bumble and clunky passage of the car, more serene. The tranquil is a bit too surreal, lazy blades of grass at thriving waist height lightly batting against each other in elementary play.

The peaceful composure lasts all of about one minute, before Eren is growing steadily bored with his surroundings. If he were to describe the defining characteristics of their location, he could sum it up in one word; grass. The two of them are standing in an empty expanse clearly depicted for miles, with nothing but grass to accompany. Yet, this is it. This is where midnight said they’d arrived, before promptly cutting the engine and booking his ass out the car. Walking around the side of the vehicle and sprinting to catch up, Eren cuts his eyes to Levi as he voices “there’s nothing here.”

“I see that,” is the man’s unimpressed response. His attention devoted to looking out into the fields, gunmetal grey roving the skyline where it touches the land in the distance.

“Was there a mistake in the location?” Eren questions, a bit of annoyance evident in his tone at the prospect of driving to such lengths to no avail.

Levi responds with a subtle shake of his head, the natural breeze picking up his movement and jetting with it. Raven locks lift astray and entangle over his face, the resulting crude stare looking more brooding than his typical bout of grump.

“Do you have a contact you can call?” He’s trying to be helpful, but it’s seeming more and more like they drove hours for nothing.

The ravenette brushes the pesky strands away from his face in irritation, turning in the direction whence the wind stems. _It can’t annoy him too much, or he’d activate his magic to dispose of the simple nuisance._ He wonders if his compromise to coalesce with the natural element has more to do with an appreciation than exasperation. Despite the glare adorned on midnight’s face, Eren can’t help but think the man appreciates an erratic breeze now and then. _Perhaps it greets him like an old friend when he’s not controlling the tune._

“Hmm,” the guardian gently hums in consideration, staring out into the distance as if an answering giant will appear on the horizon. “Hanji doesn’t overlook information, there’s something we’re missing.”

“Got it,” he clicks his tongue. “Split up and look about?” His muscles sing at the potential of movement, currently sore with the residual effects of a very stiff and previously stationary body. “I’ll check under that grass blade, you look under another. I’m sure we’ll cover the millions around us in no time.” He might also be a little resentful from the cooped up car ride, having commiserated his unenviable accident earlier this morning. _When in doubt, default to sarcasm._

“Shut the fuck up so I can concentrate,” comes Levi’s less than polite, yet entirely expected response.

“Whose Hanji?” The question tumbles out of his mouth without so much as an ounce of regret for noncompliance. He’d only just now registered the idea of a new name, and his curiosity heightens in that direct moment to completely disregard midnight’s request.

The inquisition is ignored at large, the aggravated man accustomed to perfect implementation of orders the first go round. Shimmying through the slender blades with faultless grace to prevent trampling, the ravenette wanders a few meters into the field looking for what Eren perceives as nothing in particular. Settling against the side of the car and relenting to the sidelines while Levi combs the area for an assumptive magical intervention, Eren takes the moment to simply enjoy basking in the sun. The auras of light emitted across the plain are pacifying, but it’s not the golden streaks of the blazing star in the sky that captivate his attention. Instead, Eren tracks the aristocratic, slate blue glow of the guardian’s magic activating across the vast geography.

A new revelation, as Levi had pointed out in the car.

Now that he thinks about it, Eren’s been viewing this strange apparition for a proper tract. He just hadn’t thought it unusual. That’s how it goes with his memory though, somehow things are put back without him ever knowing anything was amiss.

The bright and unwavering calling of Levi’s supernaturalism is fleeting with an alacritous dispersal. The man doesn’t waste any time getting down to business. Yet, Eren savors moments of the first unrestrained bursts of energy before the man discharges his ability to control the wind. He watches now as it fades to a margin of its condensed form, stretching into spires that form tangible ripples of movement. The twist of whimsy tugs at the corners of his lips as blue aura seeks its way across the grassland, slowing his awareness on the passage of time. He’s content to be allowed to observe while he’s got the good fortune of opportunity.

Levi finishes his combing of the area, too soon for Eren, drawing in receding tendrils and returning the spectacular sight back to its uninteresting plume of nothing. The roving sea of power may be reclusive for now, but in its place are piercingly searching eyes trained straight at him. Eyes that embody the same imperial slate blue of the beholder’s very own magic. The porcelain man begins returning to him, making his way back from several meters of uninterpreted grassland with pinpoint focus. Eren marvels whether its the unrelenting intensity of his gaze and refusal to deviate from his immersion that makes the man so intimidating. That, or maybe it’s the aphotic border of deep black lashes that make the pale color of his eyes stand out, heightening the sense of awareness to being watched.

While he’s got the guardian's enraptured attention, Eren spies an opportunity to pry. “Seriously, who’s Hanji?”

A grunt at first, a noncommittal response that Levi tends to deviate towards while he debates how much effort he’s willing to put forth in the conversation. Then a vague, but oddly forward admittance of “a good friend.” The definition of the newfound individual is perhaps a little too nice from the gruff authoritarian.

Whoever this Hanji person is, Eren definitely wants to meet them. “Do they work with you in the Survey Corps?”

Reaching his intended destination, the ravenette sidles up next to him against the outside body of the car. Standing only a hip’s with apart to himself, Eren notices the swell of the muscles on his biceps as the man moves to his signature stance of arms crossed against his chest. The ever-present scowl continues its persistence, as penetrating eyes now rest on another victim, restlessly scanning their environment. “Works with me within the Division of the Embassy, but no. Not in the Survey Corps,” he distractedly admits while his attention is devoted to remaining alert.

“What does she do then?” Eren infringes while mentally taking note of Levi's oddly talkative manner. He’s not sure if the voluble is contributed as recompense for the stilted silence within a prolonged car trip, or if it’s because of his knife incident. Maybe it’s both, either way he’ll take advantage of what he can get. Despite being familiar with Levi, perceiving a handful of his moods and mannerisms, he doesn’t really _know_ him. 

“Provisioner of the Archives,” Levi answers with a sigh while turning to partially acknowledge him.

The name Archives rings familiar, the guardian mentioning it when they first met. _Something about another branch of their government?_ Research related, if he can remember straight. He’d also heard Armin mention it while investigating books on information about black mages.

Which gets him to thinking for a moment, his mind trying to add pieces to the puzzle together that just don’t fit in the gaps. “Hey Levi?” It’s a little stupid, asking the man a question when he’s clearly upholding a conversation already. But he’s ambivalent with the newfound consideration and can’t help but feel as if there’s something important belying the answer to his next query. “Why doesn’t Armin work in the Archives?”

Midnight tilts his head in a gentle contemplation, but doesn’t forgo any obvious signs of planning to answer.

Eren hesitates once again, but eventually decides to continue his petulantly pestering mood and cut to what’s really bothering him. “What is Armin’s magic?”

~~

Wispy feathers of atmospheric perspiration float past unperturbed by the growing suspense building in the pit of his stomach. The clouds march on by, untroubled by the presence of the two men patiently awaiting a supposed encounter to further their assemblage of information. Levi doesn’t know to what extent of value Hanji’s informant has to offer, but he trusts the crazy scientist to have uncovered something of worth. Still, it doesn’t feel right to him. The atmosphere is too complacent, every movement of grass snatches his attention and bodes on his mind. He’s just waiting to catch the brief movement signifying an approaching enemy.

Under normal circumstances, he’d never permit a novice civilian to join him under the precariousness of the situation. Not if he couldn’t guarantee their protection. However, Eren tends to be an exception to the norm. Levi’s confident in his ability to tame any misfortune that goes astray, and besides, he’d die trying before anyone was able to touch a hair on the kid.

This is what weighs on his mind, his attention diverted between idle conversation and intense vigilance of their surroundings, when Eren asks him the question. “What is Armin’s magic?” The brunette probes with genuine confusion and it quickly convolutes Levi’s understanding of the brat’s disposition.

He’d assumed Eren had already asked the young cadet outright, long since traipsing that shaky bridge to mend the ‘surprise, I’m magic” gap in their relationship. Levi shakes his head in astonishment and equally places the kid a dull look of reproach, but Eren’s face of pure curiously placates his reprehension. More accurately, the fact that viridian green alighted with inquisition is staring at a spot far over Levi’s shoulder.

His body tenses and experience kicks in, moving to cover the kid while swiveling to face whatever had caught his attention. Except, nothing is there. Empty grassland for miles to laugh at him in the whisper of blades slurring together from the breeze. Eren continues to look intently in that direction, eyes squinting and mouth pursing as if trying to discern something in the distance.

“Eren.” He pushes the kid behind him in warning, the open defense and carefree attitude the brunette upholds not disarming him in the least. He’d seen the kid walk straight into the hands of death by a black mage before without so much as an ounce of hesitation, he can’t judge the situation by his trustee’s naïve innocence of posturing. Bluntly necessitating an explanation, Levi presses an arm back just far enough to touch Eren, setting up a point of contact to alert him if anything goes wrong from behind.

“There’s… somebody there.” The brunette sounds confused as he says it, like he can’t believe what he’s visualizing is real. Which isn’t all that surprising, seeing as Levi doesn’t see anything at all.

He activates his magic and does a quick sweep, ‘tsking’ when he detects a defensive barrier a few yards off from the direction the brat is scrutinizing. He still can’t see anything, and his wind only lends him the feel of the barrier’s shape, not what it protects inside. “Descriptions,” he demands with a sense of urgency.

“It’s just a silhouette, there’s something in front of them that blurs everything.” His voice is composed and the delivery lax, as if he’s wholly unaffected by the danger of the situation.

He’ll need to work with him on that, it’s been so long that Levi’s been in the field alongside anyone who hadn’t already fought their way up to a specialization. “Just one person?”

“I can’t make it out.”

“Then tell me what you can see. Height, general build, activity, position?” He fires out question after question like a drill sergeant. Depending on what they’re up against, they don’t have any time to spare.

“Uhm…” Eren cocks his head to the side in what Levi assumes is an attempt to verbalize a depiction. “Will that really help though?” Is what he gets instead, making him curse under his breath and give the brat the courtesy of a sharp elbow to the ribs. “Ow! Jeeze. Okay, height. Shorter than me... but taller than you. Fuck!” He takes another blow to the ribs.

Despite the pained clenching of arms around his midsection, the kid can’t help himself from keeping the laughter out of his voice from his jape of stature. “They’re pretty slim, and they’re just standing there, and they’re just standing there.”

Levi angles his head back to give Eren a funny look. “Why did you say that twice?”

“I was answering two questions with the same statement.”

“What?” Levi is undeniably perplexed.

“You asked what they were doing, and then you asked how they were positioned. So I answered them both separately, but they had the same outcome.” There’s a tilt of a smirk on the brat’s lips, priding himself for his petulant wit.

Levi utters a quick curse under his breath before voicing in frustration “Eren, take this serious-”

The brunette suddenly leans across Levi’s shoulder, face inches from his neck as he shushes his reprimand and concentrates intently ahead. “They’re speaking. I can’t make it out though, it’s gargled like they’re talking through a wall.” A pause, and then “oh, well I guess they are kinda talking through a wall. A magical one?”

Levi’s futile at hindering the roll of his eyes, relaxing a bit at the warm contact of the boy resting his head against his neck. The closer he is, the safer he’ll be. It reassures his nerves enough to come to the placating conclusion that they’ll have to wait for their new arrival to make a move. Barrier spells only assist as a defensive mechanism, shielding themselves optically and physically. However, it forms a double edged sword, as the wielder must deconstruct the barrier to resume offensive tactics. Otherwise it’s like throwing a grenade in someone’s own living room and having it bounce back to explode in their face.

He’ll allow the delay, confident his magic will detect the instant the barrier is dropped. For now, he settles to lean back onto the brat, preventing him from stepping forward in his arrant curiosity.

“Communicating to someone? That’s the only thing I can think of.” The brunette murmurs over his ear.

“Hm. Calling for allies, perhaps. Feel like a setup to you?” Levi questions.

Reddish brown hair brushes against his neck as the kid shakes his head. “This is an informant meet up, right? Maybe they’re trying to confirm our identities before revealing themselves.” More hair tingles the side of his ear as the boy nods his head in reassurance, as if to pat himself on the back for his deductions.

Levi shoots the brat a side eye that ceases his nodding in motion, causing tan skin to envelope a slight blush of embarrassment for his mannerisms. Levi returns his gaze to the shape of the shield he can feel, but not see, a thought occurring to him. “Good to note you can visually detect magic. Though it doesn’t explain how you can hear sound through the barrier.”

“They’re coming,” Eren’s voice looses its playful tone and he stands straighter with a serious expression.

Just as foretold, Levi feels the magic barrier crumble into a slow disintegration and then Eren is pulling back. Strands of hair whoosh past his shoulder and the previously occupied space feels frigid without the warmth emitting from the brunette. He grabs hold of Eren’s arm immediately, a sinking feeling accompanying him at the prospect of the brat getting too far from him. The sudden jerk causes Eren to saccade forward, bumping against Levi’s back with a grunt. The brunette attempts to retreat again, reeling at the close proximity, but Levi’s grip tightens to what is probably a painful contortion of his wrist and he pulls him closer still. Eren seems to understand then, ceasing his withdrawal and complying to stand idle behind him.

An extremely underweight male makes his way over to the two of them from across the field. The individual previously hiding behind his spell has long brown hair down to his shoulders, light brown skin, and appears only a handful of years older than Eren. Levi refuses to acknowledge he’s indeed shorter than the brat but taller than himself. The deep purple shirt the person wears is plighted with holes, brown trousers accompanying the same theme of having seen better days. A concerning facet of the man’s apparel is the bare feet treading over the ground of the earth. Thieves often opt to lose the articles in exchange for stealth, and the clothes adorned suggest the man would be desperate enough to rob for a living.

The raggedy man stops short a few cautious feet away, leaving a sizable gap between the two parties. “Levi?” he questions while openly eyeing Eren with no shortage of suspicion.

“In the flesh,” he draws the man’s attention from the brunette to himself. _Good, I don't like his focus on the brat_. Fleeting, as the stranger’s eyes drift back to rest on Eren again. Levi widens his stance into a defensive posture, moving to partially block the kid from view.

“I wasn’t told of another to accompany you.” His voice is hard and seething with mistrust.

“It wasn’t the plan. Shit happens.” Levi deadpans with a straight face.

This irks the stranger, a clear look of anger evident on his face. “Then I’ll be on my way.” He steps back into a cagey retreat, facing the two to keep a wary eye as he begins to depart. Levi runs through his options here, weighing out the costs and benefits. If he lets him go, then he doesn’t have to prepare for any unexpected dangers that could threaten the brunette. On the other hand, it would make the entirety of this journey a meager waste of time.

“She won’t like that,” Eren speaks out from behind Levi unexpectedly. Turning to observe the brat, he views a carefully composed expression at direct contrast to his flippant mood earlier. “At least, that’s what I'd make out of it, based on the phone conversation you made us wait for.”

The delinquent-like character clenches his hands into fists at his sides, and Levi inches himself forward with a warning glower. This unsettles the man, dark brown eyes widening slightly at him before going back to Eren once again. And Levi really, _really_ doesn’t like the attention he’s affording to his charge. Raggedy Anne eyes the kid up in down as if sizing him up, but his head tilts to the side in contemplation. “What’s her interest in you?”

It’s at this point where Levi’s come to the conclusion the kid’s somehow taken it upon himself to control the situation, as he continues to verbalize with the stranger without so much as glancing in Levi’s direction for permission. “I guess we won’t find out unless you do your job, right?” Then Levi’s contemplating the ramifications of stopping the brunette or letting him run rampant. He opts for the latter, seeing as Eren’s somehow twisted the situation to show the upper hand. He also makes a mental note to keep a closer eye on the kid, not missing the fact that he’d told Levi before that the voice was too gargled to make out words. Now, he’s apparently been privy to hearing an entire phone conversation. Magic abilities or not, the messenger was too far away for a person to physically pick up a voice on the other side of a phone.

Rag n’ bones steps forward in the beginnings of a leer, but immediately draws back as Levi mirrors him. “Chsk,” the man openly scowls at Eren and spits at the ground. “Alright then, we’ll play it your way.” He marches up to the two of them, Levi moving quicker to meet him halfway. This breaks the man’s momentary confidence fueled by vexation and causes him to twitch back slightly. “Here, put these on”. He brandishes a pocket full of blindfolds from his unruly pants, caked grime and stains clearly visible.

“Tsk. _Disgusting_. Cast a fucking illusion spell you imbecile.” Levi spits out with malice.

“I’m not wasting my energy to accommodate you. Wear the mask or leave.” He holds the nauseating rags out insistently.

“Fucking asinine, where are we gonna go? Sit crisscross in a sharing circle, so we can’t tell where we are in the fucking grass over our heads?” _My, he’s offended by the nauseating articles_.

“He doesn’t want us to know he’s taking us into the underground”.

Both Levi and the messenger give Eren a strange look. Judging by the silence following his comment, he’s hit the nail on the head. And judging by the protracted time for the messenger to regain his bearings, Eren more likely bludgeoned the nail and snapped it in half for him. Either way, it’s not a good turn of events. A trip into the underground is too dangerous for them to attempt.

His concern must show, as Eren begins to elaborate. “Not _the_ underground, just, well underground. There are many ancient tunnels built long before the infamous city. They may run alongside each other at points, but its safe to say they don’t intersect.” His face is serious, and his voice does not waver. _Where is this information coming from, and how does Eren know it_?

“Who are you?” The barefoot man in rags must be thinking along the same lines as he voices the question.

Eren simply shrugs, finally breaking his intense stare down and scanning the horizon airily. “I’ve been here a few times… probably.”

This confuses the stranger and equally exacerbates him. “Fine. Illusion spell it is then, follow me.” He marches back the direction he came, not bothering to check if they’re following.

It takes an intelligent mind to come up with an elaborate deception convincing enough for the poor soul who manages to get trapped in an illusion spell that nothing is awry. The man in front of them is highly unintelligent. The imbecile does not cast an illusion spell, but a feedback loop. The first must have been too complicated for him. The surroundings do not change at all. As they walk, their feet make progress across the gravel, yet there isn’t movement in accordance to the scenery. They continue like this for a good ten minutes, until the man finally stops his hasty pace and stoops to the ground. His arm makes a pulling motion, as if he's lifting something and Levi can easily deduce that the brat is correct. They’re going underground.

He can’t see the entrance the messenger just opened for them, whether or not it’s an actual door or a unrefined rock covering an opening. The feedback loop prevents him from seeing it. “In,” the stranger’s face does not reveal anything telling, but there’s a hint of humor in his voice that has Levi hesitating.

“You’ll want to brace yourself to fall. It’s a drop hatch, not a stairwell.” Eren explains while glaring at the scoundrel in front of them.

Another point for truth, because their tour guide glowers right back for Eren’s warning. His scowl turns to suspicion as what Eren said catches up to him. It’s becoming clear that logic is not this man’s strong point. “You really have been here before?”

“Dunno. Feels like it. I can see past your magic though. Kinda didn’t occur to you after I noticed your barrier earlier, did it?” Now it’s Eren’s turn to allow a hint of humor into his voice, and past that he adorns a small smirk.

Levi can’t help but feel a bit proud. The surge is directed more towards his sarcasm, but it doesn’t allow the modification in his magical ability to pass by. Earlier, the brat had only perceived a silhouette when shrouded with magic. More earlier than that, Eren could merely detect the magic itself, not see past it. His ability is getting powerful at an alarming rate, despite how impressive his advances are.

They drop down. It's a good two seconds before his feet touch ground, and he’s distinctly aware the fall would have hurt like a bitch if Eren hadn’t warned him. Levi contemplates using his wind to knock the raggedy fucker around a bit, but decides to suspend his wants for a more appropriate timing. As the feedback loop relinquishes and his surroundings transform to a dimly lit passageway, Levi thinks that moment may be inevitable in the near distant future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was reading another work in a different fandom and the author put squiggly sqoos ( these things -> ~~ ) before every page break and I absolutely love it. So I’ll be using this format from now on! Sorry for the change up, but I’m learning my preferences as I go :)


	18. Arachne

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've updated the tags to include deities. I guess I've always intended this fic to head in that direction but for whatever reason didn't put it in writing until now. 
> 
> Read the chappie 🌼

The walls are made of packed mud and the tunnels itself carved out of Earth. Discolored layers pressurized from the weight of the next sheet boasts a subtle twist in color, hues of red clay and crowded yellow adding a bit of warmth to the dreary burrow. Torches line the way every couple of feet, cast out of metal and adorned with elegant carvings. The light of the fires lick at the textured grain of the walls and pocket its jagged edges, thus creating a strange contrast to the blazing natural element coupled with bespangled rods formed in intricacy. Flecks of gold line the etching of the metal, and Levi catches a gleam of a gem reflecting the light every now and then from where one appears embedded in the torch holder. There’s little resemblance to the underground Levi is familiar with, lacking concrete buildings and impressive stone walls.

Levi elongates his wind around every turn of the cavern, always staying one step ahead. The stranger pays no regard as to whether they’re following, and Levi prefers the silence to concentrate on what’s ahead. His magic takes an abrupt stop when he finds his target. Or should he say _targets_. Several paces away there are multiple people milling about a large opening in the chamber, four to be exact. He has no need to stretch his magic further.

“Is this a cozy hideout for you and your business partners?” He raises his voice purposefully to carry through the halls, and can sense the bodies ahead shift and move with the indication they’ve heard him.

Raggedy bones leading them up front is noncommittal, further directing them down the passage.

“You wouldn’t be leading us into a trap, by chance?” He drawls with a tinge of malice, anticipating the tone to spring the party of ambush into movement. _Better to pick a fight in the cramped tunnel, where it could only fit about two at a time. It would make it a child’s game to pick them off at that point._

Their guide negates his movement, half turning in his place to shoot a look of choler at Levi. “Change of plans,” is his only connotation, eyes flicking to Eren for the briefest of moments before he continues to move forward.

Levi’s abruptly on high alert, casting his magic around to scan twofold because of rag n’ bones implied significance of the brat. The four people ahead aren’t moving towards them, nor much at all besides an occasional lean on a different leg, nothing to suggest antsy anticipation. He sizes them up, analyzing the skeletal frame and underfed build similar to the one currently guiding them. They shouldn’t be much of a problem to take out, under normal circumstances he wouldn’t be worried. But he’s already anticipating the upcoming events to take a turn for the worse, much like when he last went into a skirmish with an unknown enemy and ended up defending against a magic that technically shouldn’t exist. With Eren here, it only heightens his nerves, wondering just how unexpectedly things could go wrong.

He looks now to the brat for a denotation of amiss, hoping his strange new-found abilities can tell him something Levi doesn’t already know. Eren’s focus is straight ahead, expression unruffled and outwardly calm. He doesn’t acknowledge Levi’s pressing stare, indicating the boy is neither worried nor afraid. Deciding not to react preemptively, Levi decides to continue going along. If everything works out okay, they’ll get their information and maybe bash a few heads in on their way out. If everything goes _wrong_ , well. They’ll still get to bash a few heads in on their way out.

The tunnel expands to an entryway of a hollow carved from the earth. Levi immediately assesses the inhabitants of the room, visually noting corresponding garments under less than suitable conditions parallel to the ill-tempered dumbass who led them here. They don’t carry weapons that he can see or feel, but Levi has no way of knowing what magic they possess. The men are lined in a precarious half crescent around the circumference of the room, as if undertaking a guard position. Levi focuses past the rags to where they line the middle, only for the torches embellishing the walls to stop short just after. Inky darkness greets him from ahead, further sinking his mood as it’s becoming less than ordinary and more along the lines of a freak encounter.

Silence greets them when they come to a stop, the cave dwellers’ attention bidding straight ahead with their backs turned. They look forward into the unseen, intent on observing something still unbeknownst to Levi. He decides to take their lead, focusing past the light of the torches that further hinder the adjustment of the eyes to the darkness, and dread blooms profoundly from what he observes.

Black shadows move in the iniquity, growing, expanding, slithering out of the confined edges and forming morphing blobs fallacious in shape. The undefined mass spreads out and the light of the torch edifies minuscule creatures, black shiny bodies swarming to form a cohesive aggregate. The ominous forms scurrying on the floor are soundless as they flow, sending shivers up his spine. He forces a surging sweep of wind to push back the oncoming tide. Yet, his element passes through the congeries without ever detecting their physical presence, only to buff at the wall on the other side of the room. Panic surges through him, the stealthy black mob rushes closer still and Levi can make out shapes to the infantry of tiny beings.

Spiders. Hundreds upon hundreds of minuscule, black spiders. _An insect that should belong to the realm of the physical, though nonexistent to my magic. Meaning, we’re in for another shit show._

Levi rushes towards Eren, only for his body to refuse to move. Or rather, he’s forcing his muscles to contract and push, but he’s stuck in place. His stomach drops in fear and a sense of urgency overtakes him at the need to block while his mind combats his heart to think quicker than his actions. He looks down to his feet moments before the storming mass reaches him, only to see a thin shine that catches the light where the threading of multiple sticky webs bind all the way up his calves and tether him to the floor. A half dozen black beads scuffle around him that must have snuck in while he was concentrating on the larger mass.

Then the mob is upon him and he doesn’t have time to think of a counter attack before the things are crawling up from his legs adhered on the spot. Crawling further to web his hands at his waist, advancing still across his chest and hemming just short of the neck where he’s immobilized by a moving prison of phantasmal arachnids. Terror surges once again, dreading their chances of retreating unscathed. He reminds himself to push it down, think past the emotion and take stock of the situation.

His head swivels in the direction of the brat in an effort to determine his plight in all the chaos. The brunette is left untouched by the horde of insects, the boy standing unaffected by Levi’s side. He’s relieved to see Eren not drowning in a sea of spiders, though the emotion is fleeting as Levi wonders what’s to come next. Viridian green eyes track something past the darkness, the movement of his eyes suggesting the target is nearing close. Which soon proves true, as a woman slips out of the shadows soundless and much too graceful. Her feet hover just inches above the ground, without making contact with the surface. Levi’s wind passes through her just as before, not boding well to their situation.

“Madame,” Eren’s voice rings out sedately in the silence. This gives Levi a whopping sense of _what the fuck kid_ , as the brat not only manages to be unimpressed by this revolting shit show, but also recognizes the perpetrator to some extent. At least, he hopes the brunette isn’t deeming this exact moment as the perfect opportunity to greet a person with polite reception, especially since they happen to be attacking them with the bazaar. Nor does he think ‘madame’ a common honorary, not within this century. Which then begets his attention back to the macabre offender.

The woman carries herself proud and upright, bequeathed with a metal headpiece of sculpted flowers adorned with intricate gems similar to the torches lining the walls. Waist-long hair bleeds into the fray of darkness with its inky color, her throat garnered with a single, deep gold band. Not the only decoration of rare metal, as similar bands equip her upper arms and wrist. Her simple, floor length white dress is cinched at the waist with a gilded sash, accompanied by an interesting peace of jewelry boasting two rows of metal plating around her hips. Another, more delicately pleated gilding runs straight down her middle, slender all the way to the ground. The dress stops just shy of her ankles, bare feet visible to track the agile movement attainable by the deep slits down both sides of the material. Quite the provocative clothing overall, not wasted in the least, as her face becomes visible in the light.

She’s beautiful, silken black hair spilling over her shoulders to emphasize the brightness of intense green eyes, white garb contrasting with light brown skin. Not a blemish or ill feature in sight, but much too healthy and affluent to be hanging around a place like this. Levi is astutely aware the apparel is not choice of _this_ century, which begs the question, what time period? Another gut wrench to accompany the question, signifying once again that a freak encounter is approximately what they’re in for.

“Thank the light you’re alive,” she speaks in bright energy, moving immediately towards Eren. She doesn’t halt just before the brunette, instead closing the distance with one hand reaching to caress his cheek in her hand.

Levi can’t help but pull against his biotic restraints, not enjoying her dangerous proximity to the brat. It’s futile, imprisoned tightly in spectral spiders. The woman detects his muscle exertion despite the lack of mobile accomplishment, causing much too luminescent orbs to narrow sapiently in his direction. The four sentries- _no_. Five now, counting their tour guide, all rotate in his direction at the woman’s gaze. One unclothed foot spins towards him, a single step taken closer and he can feel the insects inch further up his neck to his jawline. _She means to suffocate him_.

Rising past his jaw, scurrying black bodies crawl across his cheek and he can do nothing to stop their ascent. Until the brunette speaks out beside him and the dark masses cease their advancement. “Is this how you treat guests, now?” The brat’s tone is low and spiteful, indicating his opinion of the mistreatment.

“A guest, I suppose he may be. But an ally? I suspect not.” The woman responds in kind and the insects begin shifting in place on his body. They scuffle on edge as if the lady is debating whether to continue her advancements and smother him then and there.

“Stop that,” Eren’s exasperated voice chides in irritation on his left as warm hands begin shooing away the spiders at his face. The black bodies make way readily in his favor, and Levi is at least minutely relieved with the small freedom despite the rest of his body remaining stubbornly immobile. Eren’s eyes narrow in vexation as the crowd refuses to abscond completely, one hand grabbing Levi’s shoulder to focus the other arm on swatting away the spiders at his chest. They too, part ways from his attention, but quickly reform as his hand passes.

Not remotely an ideal situation, seeing as Levi’s role to protect the boy is arrested until the supernatural arachnids decide to deviate as acting constraints. His frustration doesn’t surmount at the latter state of affairs, thankful the negative attention seems to be secluded to himself rather than extended to the brunette.

Another pair of bright green eyes draw near, the woman soundlessly floating into dangerously close proximity to Levi as the brunette continues batting away the living aggregate unaware. “Humanity’s Strongest, in the present.” Her voice comes out sultry and low, but it contains a hint of scratchy resent.

Levi hasn’t heard that nickname in ages. His work has been conducted in recent years mostly solitary, besides when he coordinates with his small assortment of a team. Not many people are skilled enough to reach the ranking required to qualify for his work, meaning he’s more than familiar with his crew for the novelty of the title to wear off. He’s not obligated to physically visit the Survey Corps building, and he’s long since opted out of walking down the halls filled with the excited whispers from his comrades. It’s no surprise the name is strange on his ears, but stranger still is the face of betrayed shock Eren makes with the recognition. The brunette halts his swatting to rid the pests from forming their imprisonment and the brat stands inactive with an openly mistrustful gape. Which does reassuring wonders for Levi that this little escapade will, yet again, have a positive outcome. Seeing as the brat didn’t know the existence of the Survey Corps, Levi doesn’t understand how his renowned title rings any bells. A much more troublesome fact coupled with the lack of gushing fandom or respectfully astonished glee. _Whatever that name means to Eren, it isn’t good._

“I take it Pixis was successful with reaching you in time, ” the woman resumes in a cold tone dripping with distaste. “A dark mage is no lesser foe, I applaud you for that much at least.”

Of course, the mention of Pixis’ name is concerning forthwith. _Has Hanji somehow led them to the sender of the coordinates?_

Then the apparitional ‘madame’ sighs as if the act of talking at him is beneath her, and Levi is acutely aware past the backhanded praises that she has yet to reject the spiders binding him in place. “It is an honor to bear a celestial shield, and extraordinarily rare still. I didn’t have much of a choice in seeking a mortal who could survive the power of a black mage.”

The word ‘celestial shield’ piques his interest, but before he can make a mental note to question it, the use of ‘mortal’ jolts him further. There is no need to define any being as mortal, the inevitable circle of life always a presiding factor. The realism that she feels the distinction necessary, and more jarringly her lack of physical presence, has Levi reeling. _If I entertain the idea that she is indeed immortal, then am I making dealings with a goddess?_ He doesn’t exactly have a religious bone in his body, but a spirit or apparition couldn’t create nor command an army of other entities. _What the fuck is going on?_

He pans his expression of absolute fucking disorder towards Eren, hoping to shine some light on how the brunette is handling all this information. Ocean eyes is receiving the woman with equal parts distrust and confusion, clearly not following, but suspicious about her involvement.

Sensing the convergence of the brat’s attention, the woman continues on with Eren’s acknowledgement. “Of course, you would not have been burdened with the task if this one had headed my warning.” The phantom woman looks down towards the brunette in a chiding fashion, but not harshly. It’s more an act of maternal reprimand than genuine malice.

“Warned… me?” Eren tilts his head to the side with his inquisition, clearly not gaining revelation by her words.

“Ah… I see.” Green eyes glowing with vigor widen in perception. She saunters closer to the kid, tilting his chin with the tips of slender fingers and gazes intently into his eyes. “You stand before me, yet all strings of fate led to the same inevitable misfortune of your soul wilting from this world.” The abnormal words do her no somber as she smiles proud, shoulders going back in a deep exhalation as she boasts with energy “cleaver boy! You’ve found a loophole even I did not perceive within the foresight of possibility- yet you sacrifice your memory in the process.”

 _Wonderful,_ Levi thinks dryly _._ _We finally find someone who knows what the fuck is going on around here and they talk in more vague and convoluted passage than anyone insofar._

“You faced the cataclysm of malice when lacking the strength to defeat it, so you’ve chosen to carry it with you instead.” Her hand under Eren’s chin moves to cup his cheek once more, and her voice shifts from exhilaration to cautionary. “That is impressive, yet an entirely unnerving monstrosity in itself. This only serves to buy you time before the inevitable.”

_I take it back. I’ve never heard a more indefinable and cryptic sentence until now._

“But you’ve changed that fate once already, my dear.” She smiles fondly down at the brunette and in a softer, adoring tone voices “perhaps- it may be possible to do so once again.”

At long last since her first appearance, the woman draws away from Eren and himself with an air of potency and straightens into a face of regal impassivity. “Now, you’ve come to me for a reason.” A hand flicks half-hearted in the air and the grim syndicate of arachnids fall unceremoniously to the ground, releasing Levi from his prison. The unpleasant masses scuttle back into the darkness whence they came, but the threads of webbing remain.

“Madame,” and now it’s the brunette’s course to sound chastising. “Let him be, I trust him.”

“Hmm, is that so?” Glowing eyes cut between them in thought before the bindings disperse nontangible into the atmosphere. Her meticulous gaze continues to pick apart Levi’s face as the brat moves towards him, grabbing his wrists in a quick sweep to make sure she made well on removing the discrete threads. “Even in knowing what he stands for?”

It’s Levi’s turn for a piercing stare, observing the brat’s reaction to the antagonism for any connotation to explain his earlier response. Eren simply huffs in annoyance, then leans in suspension towards the supernatural woman. “I believe the reason we’re here is for you to answer our question.”

Then Levi’s closing his eyes in a wince and inherently moving to partially stand between the two instigators. At the affronted look shot his way by the lady (floating still, mind you), Levi gently nods his head in respect before shooting the brat a glare with the prominence to _knock this shit off._

Eren thankfully assents, leaning his chin on Levi’s shoulder to question “who am I?”

The regally adorned woman nods in understanding. “That is a dangerous question, but one I shall lead you to. Understand I cannot directly intervene, and therefore the means of obtaining this information will be difficult for you. Yet, it will prove a necessary risk.”

Levi suppresses the need for an eye roll, growing tired of the unclear counsel and riddled information. He’s grateful for his self control when bare feet float leisurely towards him in measured steps that never touch ground.

“It is my duty after all, and an honor. Elemental, do you know your role in this?” A swish of material skirts around him from the length of her dress as she presses close and whispers “keep him alive.”

~~

They steal a torch, burning low and bright on the wall, as they silently make their way down the tunnel. It’s only good sense to have the portable light with them, rather than consistently pass into shadow where the fire did not quite reach the light of the next. It works in their favor, and pisses Levi off when the burning stick points out a ladder flush against the wall. The raggedy asshole who led them here hadn’t bothered showing them out, only voicing that they knew the way as the woman and the sentries retreated into darkness. Smart on the bone man’s part, or Levi would have flung him into the dirt.

As they climb their way to the top, Levi swings open the entrance in the form of a crude, metal drop hatch, partially rusted and ripped with jagged edges from the erosion of time. It is very literally placed in the middle of nowhere, a metal object flush with the ground, the sole concealment relying on the height of the grassland. It baffles his mind that a supernatural being lives just beyond the meager opening, easy to stumble upon out in the open. He sends out tendrils of wind to pinpoint the direction of the car. Perhaps a half mile in the distance, they had literally walked out into the expanse of green sea to jump down a fucking hole in the ground. Levi can’t wrap his head around it and he is currently much within his head as he makes his way to the car.

It’s hauntingly silent as he puts the vehicle in gear, the brat taking an exceptional interest in the hands resting in his lap. Levi doesn’t know enough of what he saw to put it into words. He doesn’t even understand why those malnourished and grotesquely poor men were serving under her. “What the fuck Hanji, where did you find this hell of a lead?” He mumbles under his breath.

“She did good.” It’s a quiet whisper, Levi almost wouldn’t have heard the brunette mumble it over the drone of the vehicle hitting the loose rock of the road. Except, he’s on edge and his magic is still activated around him as a subconscious defense, making it easier to comprehend words on the air.

“Kid, we almost turned to spider food. Please elaborate on how the fuck Hanji did well.” He’s a bit exhausted with this whole endeavor and more than a little freaked out. Hundreds of beady spider bodies are pertinently scaring the back of his mind.

“Madame spins her webs. She hears everything on them.” He says it matter of fact, like it’s strange to him Levi doesn’t find it common knowledge.

 _Just how deep did Hanji have to dig to uncover this dreadful informant?_ He’ll have to thank her, right after he gives her a good ass kicking for opting out of a warning. For now he needs to make sense of the events transpired, and ask what he can of the brat while he’s stuck in a confined space with him. Ocean eyes is already on edge, so he’ll have to broach each topic carefully.

Levi catches the brat staring at him suspiciously out of the corner of his eye. The last time he saw that look, he’d been called by his renowned title.

“You don’t like that name, do you?” _Fuck it, he’s no good at treading eggshells. Rip the band-aide off and get on with it._ The kid remains quiet, an eerily uncharacteristic quality that must be more related to the Eren that calmly antagonizes potential deities rather than the enthusiastic brat he’s grown to know. “You didn’t know humanity’s strongest was me, after knowing my full name. Why do you dislike it, if you never knew me?”

Again, the kid merely watches him without a response.

“It’s not me personally, then. Perhaps my abilities and government affiliation?” He didn’t earn the name for nothing, his magical prowess and fighting ability are well known by the magical community not by happenstance. The fact that his abilities are directed by the order of another, that is a concern for him as well. The only reason he allows himself to follow an ordinance is because of the direct line of command through Erwin. 

Eren finally stops side eyeing him and casts the bright orbs down, “that’s the conclusion I’m drawing as well.” He sounds upset, like his world has suddenly turned upside down. Which is a strange thing to be upset about, all things considered in the line up. “Does that mean I’m the bad guy?” The brunette asks into his lap.

“What?” Levi isn’t expecting this.

“You’re the symbol of peace, humanity’s strongest, and the Captain of the Survey Corps. If I resent that, what kind of person does that make me?” Fingers clasp into fists as Eren worriedly digs into flesh with his nails.

That’s a pretty detailed barrage of his titles for someone who didn’t recognize the name Levi Ackerman. He doesn’t know what to make of it. He does know Erwin wouldn’t have taken a deep rooted interest in helping the kid if he was a maniac. Levi’s own career revolves around taking down the scum of the earth, and his short time with Eren has proved the brunette is none of the sort.

“Do you think it would be different if I remembered?” The brunette voices at all but a murmur. Levi doesn’t follow, quirking an eyebrow at the boy who refuses to look at him despite carrying a conversation. “If I suddenly remembered my past all at once…” he pauses, wringing his hands nervously. “And I was this, I don’t know, evil person.” Levi quirks his eyebrow higher. “Would I be less likely to do bad things because of who I am right now?”

For starters, the fact that he’s contemplating morality answers his own question pretty fucking solid. “Jesus kid, you’re not a criminal for viewing the Survey Corps as an enemy.”

“What, why?” The brunette swings his head over to look at Levi in astonishment.

Continuing to tap on the steering wheel, Levi wonders with no shortage of annoyance how he’s managed to be the one answering the questions. _How did I get to this point in my career, where a fucking ocean eyed brat is turning my usual routine so completely ass backward?_ “There are concerns.” He pins Eren a freezing stare, “kept largely under wraps within the heads of each division.”

The brunette mimes zipping his mouth shut and throwing away the key and Levi eyes him up and down, unimpressed. _How the fuck did I end up with this idiot in my car?_ Sighing, he opts for a lengthy explanation he' doesn't particularly care to form words for. “Orders we receive from the Embassy don’t always make sense, actions of other divisions aren’t always accounted for.” Levi takes his eyes off the road momentarily to check that Eren’s following. “We’ve been trying to trace the corruption for a while now.”

The vehicle whirs on past the unyielding sea of grasses, the atmosphere reposeful save for the bumps of travel. “I realize this doesn’t make it easy for you to trust me-”

“I trust you Levi.”

He keeps his attention adeptly trained on the road, not knowing how to properly respond. He can feel the brunette’s eyes on him, and reversing their positions from before it’s Levi’s turn to refuse acknowledgement. After a few more beats of silence, he draws to the conclusion he has to say something before the atmosphere transitions to unwieldy. “Either way, this has become out of hand based off our endearing little meeting back there. I’ll need to make a pit stop and report to Commander Smith.”

“Commander Erwin Smith?” Eren asks in a voice dripping with mistrust.

“Christ, this is going to be difficult isn’t it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to be clear, Levi doesn’t directly talk to the woman throughout the entire encounter because he’s not stupid and knows when silence is the better option for survival. Also meaning- Levi’s a badass in a fight but he’s lived long enough to know when to pick them over a potential demigod/ goddess/ immortal something that already hates his guts.


	19. Divine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiii.
> 
> That's all, just wanted to say a nice greeting. Thanks for reading ʕ￫ᴥ￩ ʔ

Eren’s house is infinitesimally closer to the City of Rose than where Mikasa and Armin commute from Shinganshina. The mansion in the forest abruptly forks just before the exit to the city, but it remains still a good forty five minutes from the heart of the metropolitan. Levi never before reflected on the purpose of their jaunt, not being interested enough to be knowledgeable on where his subordinates hail from. Now, as he makes the highway time past the indistinct road of the ancient home and heads toward the city, he allows himself short speculation.

Being young and newly integrated into their careers, he supposes money could be the issue. The small town of Shinganshina would be much more affordable than the usual wealth accommodated by the City of Rose. At the same time, he wonders if their only anchor to the town is Eren.

Regardless of the indisputable close bond they share, it’s clear both parties have been withholding secrets about their respective occupations. _Perhaps they arrested a stasis to reduce the amount of questioning from either party._ His cadets more than likely attempted to stop any questions from arising by the brat as he clearly had no idea what it is they did for a living to begin with. Both Armin and Mikasa didn’t have the need to offer a dismissive cover-up, probably gratified by Eren’s carefree demeanor.

Except it hadn’t been completely carefree, just another strategic communication gap the boy was content dismissing. It meant the discussion was not shared both ways and Eren didn’t have the need to utilize outright deception.

Speaking of Eren, the brunette sitting beside him resumed that doe-eyed look Levi observed when they’d first met. This time, they were discussing his peculiar predicament to a governing body in which the boy harbored misgivings towards. You’d think he’d been more worried about the black mage, except Levi’s pretty sure the kid might blow chunks in the car if his mood doesn’t improve within the next ten minutes. It works in his favor that the Survey Corps’ central offices are located within the dense hustle and bustle of the inner city core. He pulls into a parking lot on the outskirts of the municipality limit, needing to get out of the damn vehicle just as much as the brat did.

 _We’ll make to cap the rest of the distance on foot, sadly constituent of the same time if we’d taken the route by transportation._ It’s a lot easier to get clogged up at traffic signals and pedestrian crosswalks and Levi doesn’t have the patience to crusade at a crawl.

Eren is quite literally a jittery mess, making Levi realize this is the first they’ve gone anywhere public together. The brat’s hands are tightened into fists at his sides, but he fumbles with his nails in a nervous tick. He meticulously scans the city dwellers passing by, most curiously through discrete reflections of window shops, street signs, and the occasional puddle forming in the downward slope of the sidewalk.

The boy doesn’t focus on everyone and everything that comes within view, instead occasionally focusing on a singular selective pedestrian. A woman remarkably indistinct, lacking any sort of unique quality to generate concentrated interest beholds his attention. Why Eren picked this particular person out from across the street amidst a body of travelers is unbeknownst to Levi. Yet, he continues to passively observe her until she disappears around a corner. There are a few others after this, mostly in business attire and dressed to blend rather than stand out. There’s no distinctive draw to them in general, at least not to Levi’s eyes. He isn’t convinced the brat is viewing anything within the same playing field as him, as proven by their initial contact with their marvelous messenger.

On one such occasion, when Eren uses the puddles forming from the side of a storm drain to track the movement of a city goer passing by, he doesn’t immediately continue his examination onto another target. The brunette hesitates long enough to acknowledge Levi’s eyes staring back in the liquid mirror. It’s a brief interaction, as they pass the reflection and continue on their trek. Long enough for Eren to stop his peculiar behavior to look up at Levi in the flesh. 

“You’re acting like an empath in a crowd the size of a mob.” Levi means it as a joke, hoping to take the edge out of Eren’s visibly nervous behavior. Yet, he’s not experienced with soothing anyone’s nerves. His attempt is clearly rusty and ineffectual as the boy only fidgets more when he realizes his conduct has been scrutinized.

“Oh, I uhm. Sorry, I guess?” He searches the skyline in an obvious attempt to stop people watching, but it’s clear he’s fighting the pull to continue his investigation. “What’s an empath?” A lone cloud drifting in solidarity seems to do the trick, Eren watches this cloud like a lifeline, too intently focused for it to be anything but awkward.

“Senses other's emotions. Sometimes reads thoughts,” Levi mutters softly under his breath. Not that anybody would slow down long enough to eavesdrop, but it’s better to keep some discussions under wraps.

Eren swivels in surprise “so how do you defend yourself in a fight?”

 _Strange question to ask, seeing as empaths are apathetic and passive by nature._ Though, with Eren’s current track record he wouldn’t be surprised if there managed to be an exception. Hopefully that elision didn’t have eight legs or an intangible form to the physical domain. “It’s a mental ability, won’t do shit if you’re faster or stronger.” Levi answers distractedly, looking ahead of them as they round a busy street corner. Noticing a group of people converging from the crosswalk and joining their side of the paved walkway, he can easily deduce by the volume of foot traffic that there’s going to be some pushing and shoving involved.

Activating his magic, he curls a stiff breeze to fork around Eren’s waist and draw him close just before a passerby roughly scrapes against the brat’s shoulder. Effectually having given the man plenty of room to pass without carelessly hitting ocean eyes, he upsurges wind at the base of the stranger’s lifted walking foot to send him tumbling. _Asshole._

The crowd doesn’t terminate in dispersal, but rather enlarges as a throng of pedestrians converge in the same direction, forming an agglomeration of rotten timing. He spares a spry glance at Eren, noticing the hands wringing together at his collar bone and how he presses in close to avoid brushing against strangers. For someone who’s entirely well versed when it comes to social interactions, he’s clearly acting the part of a wreck.

Levi’s not sure if it could be a new development in light of what Eren’s seeing that’s throwing the boy off so much. Either way, bracing against the tide of people while the brunette is just shy of a meltdown isn’t the best course of action. At the closest side street he leans against the kid to bodily steer him down it. This will take them a bit out of the way to the Survey Corps, but it will keep them from the lime light while they continue in a roundabout fashion. Of course, they’ll have to get back onto a main street before the doors to the central office, but they’ll broach that when they get to it.

Ocean eyes stares at him in a curious manner as they proceed down the detour in silence. Overwhelming green with flecks of blue hues shimmer in the dark shade of the buildings looming over them. Eren doesn’t speak, holding his arms close to his chest and visibly digging into them with nails, but he holds a questioning look.

It takes Levi a moment to place it, tracking his magic back to it’s lazy loops around the kid. _What can he say?_ His magic has a personality of its own when it comes to the brat. If he explained his subconscious habit as an act of reassurance, he’d be lying. His wind encircles the boy just as much out of curiosity as unintentional doing. He simply smirks at Eren and continues walking, not bothering to withdraw the wind activated around him.

When they find themselves in front of the central offices of the Survey Corps, Levi realizes he's never been madly impressed by the building. As they walk up to the entrance and he notes Eren’s face of sheer astonishment, it occurs to him that the premises might be a tinge showy. By itself, it’s nothing special. An instinct thirty meter building covered front and back with mirrored windows without the bother of a company sign. _For obvious reasons_. The part that does stand out is the sheer height of the construction in comparison to the structures around it. Leave it to the Embassy to blend in for functionality without the capability of putting away their egos. The Survey Corps at least minimized the portrayal of wealth and intimidation by wrapping it in the boring nuance of another corporate building. The lobby carries over the same theme, pristine white granite floor to ceiling that portrays bland prosperity. This part excites Levi to a certain extent, white décor translating to clean surfaces by default. After all, dirt or dust would stick out against the albescent interior.

His rejoice at an immaculate environment is not mutual for the kid. Levi’s taken to monitoring his breath after detecting the first warning signs of hitches and shallow breathing. Perhaps he shouldn’t have pressed onward after the kid’s obvious discomfort on the main street, but they’re here now.

In the quiet dead space of the too empty lobby he brushes against Eren’s shoulder “hey kid, it’s gonna be okay.” He tries to look him in the eye to relay the message in earnest, but Eren pans his face away in embarrassment.

Levi steers him toward the elevator. Once the doors are shut, ensuring they are out of the wayward earshot he tries again. “Oi, listen to me.”

“I shouldn’t be here, Levi.” Eren keeps his face downcast while looking at the floor. The elevator lurches into motion and the brat gives a slightly unsteady pitch before stabilizing his balance.

“That’s not listening,” he says while gently using the magic of his wind to urge the brat’s chin up. Eren looks at him in attentive surprise and Levi takes the opportunity to lean in close and physically nudge his chin with his own hands. “How long have you been having anxiety attacks?”

The brunette’s brow creases in rumination, but he chooses not to respond.

“Breath,” he mildly reminds as well as instructs. “Don’t worry about where we are, just work on breathing even.”

A ‘ding’ of the elevator signals the arrival of their floor and Levi pushes the 'close door' button before it yawns wide. Fishing through his pocket, he brandishes a key to override the controls to the elevator. _Perks of the command_. He then rejoins the kid, taking a seat on the floor of the lift. (Thankfully, this is something he can do knowing the routine of the scheduled cleaning crew. Of course, this is not a requirement for his job, but more necessary on a personal level.) He indicates towards the ground next to him for the brat to sit, who takes his offer without comment.

Leaning against the cold metal of the wall, they sit in silence. Eren’s inhales are erratic and uneven, but Levi doesn’t bother talking him through it. He wouldn’t be any good at it, and the imperative is to choose not to constantly point out the anxiety and enable it to clear away on its own. He patiently sits with the brunette while keeping a timepiece on his breathing. In the soothing complacency with the lack of stimulation from the outside environment, Eren’s rhythm begins to even out. Loosening a bit of attentive worry, Levi dictates his concern towards the area of the Survey Corps.

 _Is there any real danger in bringing Eren here? How much of this episode is correlated to being in this particular building and how much could have been the combination of the spider witch, whatever happened out in the city, and now the uncomfortable misgivings of their location._ Logically speaking, the chances of getting attacked in the Survey Corps are slight. There may be indisputable speculation about a source of corruption in the Embassy, but it’s not confirmed whether the core organization as a whole shares this persuasion. More reassuring, the Survey Corps and the Archives do not partake of this degeneracy. The Military Police on the other hand, perhaps he would think twice about taking Eren there.

The brat nervously twitches his thumb and forefinger together, but other than that the panic from before is marginally placated. Levi stands up and utilizes his key once more to turn on the elevator. “Ready brat?” He questions without bothering to turn and address the kid. They’re going whether Eren wants to or not. He can’t keep the fucker alive without a game plan and Erwin is more than efficient at plotting.

They start down the abandoned hallway, it’s upper level story accessible to only those with the right credentials. Hence why he had an elevator key to begin with. Their stroll is uninterrupted and solitary, they draw near to Erwin’s office in no time. Constantly vigilant about Eren’s state by use of his magic, Levi notices his hands turn into fists and nails dig into skin once again. _Tsk, that’s enough for one day. Don’t want to give the kid a heart attack._

Hesitating just before the door to Erwin’s office he offers “wait outside if you want.”

Eren responds by crossing his arms over his chest protectively and looking down without a vocalization for preference.

“Fine, I’ll make the decision for you.” Levi surges forward his magic to gently bump Eren backwards, effectively inclining him against the wall as grounding. Leaning in close he murmurs in a low undertone “I’ll keep an eye out.” To make a point he flourishes a spry current of air around them that buffs against the kid’s hair and softly blows it around. “If anything’s wrong just say my name, I’ll hear it.” With that he pulls back to observe the brunette’s face, getting a mute nod in confirmation.

So Levi abruptly wastes no time and enters eyebrows' office.

The domain is the same as ever, an intimidating length of empty space leading up to one massive desk. The entirety of the room is in faultless order except for the stacks of unfinished paperwork cluttering the Commander’s desk. “Levi,” the blonde behemoth rises out of his chair in surprise. “One of these days you’re going to show up unannounced and I’m not going to be here,” he jokes with an upturn of his lips.

“You’ll always be here you fucking workaholic.” Levi’s looking past him at nothing in particular. His attention is on the brat in the hall.

“Is something wrong?” Erwin’s smile drops in favor of recognition for Levi’s unsettled mood.

He draws up to the opposite side of the desk and pulls out a chair, “shit just hit the fan.”

“Is Eren okay? Where is he?” The comment effectively startling the Commander.

“He’s fine, sit down Erwin.” Captain America hesitates, placing his massive hands on the desk with vacillation.

“We need to talk and I can’t see past your fucking shadow hovering over me.” It’s comical how quickly the blonde snaps back to his seat, height jokes coming from none other than himself almost always signify something is entirely amiss. “You believe in myths and legends?” He starts the difficult conversation they need to traverse.

The Commander laces his fingers together to clasp into a single combined fist in front of him. “I have a haunch this goes beyond the black mage.” 

“Erwin, answer me and spare the shady dismissive shit. Did you know they were real?”

“Shady dismissive shit?” The hulking blonde sounds out each word in a question of poor choosing. “Well, lets ensure we’re both on the same page.” His eyebrows raise in exasperation and he takes a sip from the glass of scotch conveniently occupying his desk.

“Supernatural abilities that shouldn’t exist. Spell it out right enough for you?” Levi wants to cut to the chase as soon as possible and get out of here. _I don’t want to leave the brat out in the hallway for too long._

“We are not talking about a creation spell, correct?” He tilts his head in a cocky question.

“I am not talking about someone else’s magic taking a form of their imagination.” Levi enumerates on the definition of the spell to cover any loopholes Erwin will attempt to offer as explanation.

“Then guide me with this a little bit mor-”

“A myth that is bodily present and capable of independent thought.” He monotones his answer, not wishing to give the blonde anything to scrutinize other than the subject matter.

“…which myth?” He sounds uncertain to ask, as if voicing the question confirms he’s entertaining the thought of fables becoming reality.

“Eren called her Madame, but guessing from her distinct abilities and lack of physical presence, I’d fill in the blanks and call her Madame Arachne.” He realizes how that sounds, but doesn’t care.

“You mean-” Erwin starts before Levi cuts him off again.

“A demonic spider bitch with an army of eight legged creatures that my magic couldn’t touch. Disturbingly enough she levitates,” he tacks on as an afterthought.

The Commander looks down at his glass of scotch with a strange expression and scoots it across his desk. _No Erwin, it’s not the alcohol talking._ The blonde seems to figure this out on his own as he directs a face full of somber determination at Levi. “Tell me everything.”

~~

Erwin pages through a book he’d acquired from the various shelves lining the rear of his office. He’d pondered over the chapters and skimmed the contents while they discussed the events transpired earlier in the day. Now, he sits with chin in hand contemplating the wording of what he was looking for. “Greek-Roman mythology of a mortal spinstress who challenged Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Crafts, to a weaving contest. The short synopsis is as defined; she was punished for placing herself on equal footing of a god and upon death was transformed into a spider.” He pauses, looking up past the book at Levi.

“Appears human, just controlled a hoard of spiders.” Levi dryly summarizes at the Commander's nonverbal question.

“I’m not entirely sure to what degree any of these legends are accurate other than the matter of her existence. I wonder…” He leans back in his chair and looks to Levi for discussion. “Are there others? Is there a myriad truth to these stories?”

“Who gives a shit,” he crudely replies. “What matters is the lead the spider witch so kindly handed off to us. It’s within the underground.”

“Ah, that is problematic,” is the blonde's contribution to the conversation despite the unwavering fact that Erwin looks nonplussed by the inconvenience. “Okay, it’s settled. We’ll have no choice but to embark into the underground.”

This immediately doesn’t sit well with him, Erwin never rushes headlong into a compromising situation without serious contemplation in appraisal of multiple outcomes. Especially considering the overriding ban placed by the Commander himself to refuse entry of any Survey Corps member into the underground.

The restriction had been enacted about ten years ago, it was a controversial decision that sealed off all protective functions within the subsurface city. This inevitably led organized crime to rise above a threshold and left the people to rot within their own self-destruction. It had not been an easy decision, but after Levi lost his entire team on a recovery mission underground, he’d refused to question the order. Erwin’s investigation on the events that transpired led to the evidence he needed to suspend all operations, also the tipping point to his discovery of corruption at the heart of the Embassy.

That is why he’s more than surprised and irritated that his friend would so flippantly give him permission to traverse the underground again. Erwin hadn’t given any indication of revising his comment nor shake his unperturbed attitude. So Levi opts to voice his discomfort “that was too easy.”

“What do you mean?” The hulking blonde actually creases his eyebrows as if he fails to see the predicament.

“The underground’s been off limits for years without breaking direct order. I’d thought you’d put up more of a fight.” He glowers at the Commander, expressing just where his opinion lies with the matter.

“Well, this is different. You’ll have Eren with you.” Too insouciant, Erwin never has a cure-all for any state of affairs. Always multiple scenarios with back-up plans for days.

“No,” Levi doesn’t hesitate to voice his objection. “I thought the goal was to keep the fucker alive,” he reiterates to the man whose temporarily lost his brain.

“I think the only way anyone will come out alive in the underground is within the presence of Eren.” Erwin lifts his head subtly in a sagely nod as if nothing else could convince him otherwise. “Trust in his capabilities.”

How the terms have swiftly shifted from protecting the brunette to having Eren protect him in turn, Levi does not know. “Erwin he doesn’t fucking remember his capabilities, whatever the fuck they are.”

“He did well with Arachne, did he not?” Captain America places his hand on the desk as if he were dealing a nice set of cards for the win.

It still doesn’t sit well with him. The confidence the Commander places with the kid is admirable and not something to take lightly. However, the last time he was sent into the underground with the confidence of a competent crew…

Eyebrows distracts his musing, “you never did answer my question. Where is Eren?”

Somewhere along the discussion Levi dropped his magic, all his focus going into trying to call bullshit on Erwin. “Waiting,” is his clip reply, not wanting to give Erwin the opportunity to obsess over the brat in person. Re-activating his wind for a conformation, Levi is instantly flipping his chair over in haste to the entryway as he detects the shape of a person pinning Eren to the wall in the hallway.

Ripping open the door, Levi visually confirms a lean man pressed up against the kid, hands grasping the brunette’s upper arm and face concealed as he appears to be whispering into his ear. Without another thought, Levi launches a current of air with the intention to blast the fucker down the hall. It’s effortlessly blocked by a deflection spell. The man’s silver hair shimmers slightly as a few passive bands of wind get through his barrier.

His attack gains the stranger's attention, though irksomely not of the effect Levi was going for. The man shifts minutely to look causally over his shoulder as if the disruption was a nuisance rather than a concern. This gives Levi the opportunity to discern the features of the man affronting his charge, silver hair pulled back on one side only to partially conceal the other side of his face. This plainly showcases a jagged scar that runs the length of his right eye from his forehead down to his cheek. His posturing is jaunt, shoulders protruding more than the average person. The stranger’s expression is stoic and uncaring, but his icy blue eyes are angry with an aura of an experienced fighter. More importantly, he makes no move to back off Eren, the boy himself appearing for all the world clueless.

Levi moves to intercept the two with a physical altercation, but Erwin supersedes with his voice from behind. “Jack. What an honor to see you grace these halls.” The blonde places a hand on Levi’s shoulder to indicate for him to stand down.” It’s been some time,” he continues to converse in a subtle attempt to defuse the situation.

Levi places the illustrious name with the unknown face, as the newly identified Jack looks between Erwin’s hand holding him back and then to Levi. A smirk forms on the lithe man’s face, an attempt to mock Levi for taking orders. The scarred man steps away from Eren with laggard ease, releasing the grip on the boy’s arm. With one last spiteful gaze, he strides down the hallway. “Come find me if you need me Eren,” he calls without turning around, hand flicking passively in the air as if conveying how effortless the directive would be.

“Well. That’s a face I never anticipated seeing in person.” Erwin speculates, but his comment is adeptly worded to sound as if he were talking about Jack while his gaze hones in on Eren. A strange remark at that, implying Erwin had never directly interacted with the kid he’s so desperate to defend. Which signals an excessive amount of unexpected turns for the day and Levi is promptly inclined to disengage from anymore social encounters. Eren’s face drives the incentive home, his contemplative face watching Jack leave morphing into tension as he takes notice of the Commander.

“Time to go,” Levi puts an abrupt end to the convergence before it can start. “Don’t kill the rest of that bottle of scotch by yourself, eyebrows.” He clasps Eren’s elbow and guides him back down the hall, an easy feat met with little resistance.

The elevator ride back is silent, ocean eyes thankfully placated in his anxiety for favor of reflection from one too many encounters in the hallway. Levi leads him back down the alley route inferior to the city hustle and bustle, and after safely entering the confines of his own vehicle he voices his concern. “What did he say?”

“Huh?” Eren looks up in confusion, pausing in buckling his seat belt.

“Jack.”

“Oh.” He takes a reprieve to muddle through his thoughts. “I… wasn’t listening, I guess.”

He shoots the brat a weird look, pushing for him to explicate more.

“He was really familiar, I was trying to place how I knew him.” There’s a finality to his tone enforced by the click of the buckle. “Guess I drowned out the words in an attempt to place the voice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any guesses as to our mystery character Jack? This story is NOT a crossover... but I may have borrowed a character because he fit so well with the story. Plus I needed an non-cannon character who could blend together a few concepts. 
> 
> Guys, it's hard to make magic and mythical legends and this foreshadowed "darkness" work without making this fic a crackpot. So my solution was Jack.


	20. Findings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out those end notes though

The stairs grumble their protest of Armin’s weight with creaky age, making it easy to count the number of steps he descends with every footfall. It’s always been a habit of his, counting things, keeping track of the mostly mundane in favor of finding an overlooked coordination. Data shows itself in everyday situations and objects, you just have to know how to look for them. The characteristic musty smell of the basement wafts up to him before he gets halfway to the ground floor. He can’t shake it from his mind the previous investigation came up empty. The Captain and him had done a decorous job roving the empty space, but it was ultimately cut short by Mikasa.

His stoically quiet companion assumed a bit of the role of protector for Eren once his mother passed away. Never to replace her, oh no. She was just very intuitive to his green eyed friend and tended to instinctively supplement whatever it was she thought he needed. Because of this adaptation, Mikasa’s managed to create an impressive ability to detect when Eren’s in distress. This is of course, half the reason their bazaar situation has been so harrowing on them. Mikasa flutters around and fusses when Eren is in a bad mood, but when something’s _wrong_ … it’s a whole other demon to pick and a hell of a lot less easy to deflate. With both of his family members in a constant state of upheaval over something that didn’t fall in either category of the quantitative or qualitative realm, it’s been quite stressful.

Eren’s reaction to the basement was unsettling, but Mikasa’s response to his friend was doubly troublesome. They’d split up to look around. Armin had mentally fragmented the area into sections and was planning to work from one subdivision to the next. His examination was much more rudimentary than that, he couldn’t help but notice Mikasa’s troubled demeanor.

~~

_She isn’t inspecting anything in the basement, instead standing in the middle and looking above at the ceiling and focusing on the unseen. Her petite frame appears smaller than usual, one hand brought up to her collarbone in concern. Mikasa turns in place as if following something and occasionally take a few steps to pace. The beautiful black haired woman always re-centering herself in the basement and her gaze would find its way back to the west side of the room._

_It distracted Captain Levi, who paused in his search and inquisitively gestured to Armin in her direction._

_“It’s Eren. Seems he’s worked himself up into something negative,” he responded._

_Mikasa chanced a quick look in their direction, placing both hands nervously on her heart. Only a brief moment, worried brown eyes turning back to her focal point soon after._

_The Captain raises an eyebrow, not entirely following the explanation._

_“She’s very in tune with him,” he immediately shrugs, sensing the next question the Captain’s going to throw at him. “Don’t ask me how it works, believe me I’ve tried to understand it.”_

_Captain Levi’s eyes narrow in Mikasa’s direction in an attempt to catalogue the peculiar information. Short lived, as Kasa rushes to the forefront of the stairs and takes two at a time. She halts just as suddenly and hovers unsure above the banister._

_“What is it?” The Captain demands. His tone may be harsh and unwavering, but with the short time Armin’s spent with the aloof man, he’s learned there’s more care than meets superficial impressions._

_She sulks back down the stairs with her eyes downcast. “I was going to help, but…” Mikasa doesn’t offer much more, choosing to let her sentence taper off at the end._

_“He only pushes himself further away,” Armin concludes for her. He joins her to perch at the foot of the stairs. “Can’t you tune him out?”_

_Silken black hair sways side to side with the shake of her head. They’re left silently staring into the abyss of the basement, unsure of where to venture. Taking in the cobblestone floor and the uneven grey brick walls, the level of emptiness is disturbing. A few spare stools matching the set in the kitchen lean against the wall in the corner. A faded and rolled up rug graces a small portion of the ground with its presence. Framed photographs display the once united family to the dark and dreary room, bundled up and hurriedly cast aside. Nothing extraordinary to bespeak a causation to Eren’s disruptive episode._

_“There’s not much to pick from down here. Why do you think it’s so barren?” He wonders aloud with his search crew._

_Mikasa shrugs beside him, but it’s Levi who answers. “Because this place isn’t lived in.” The Captain’s taken up his signature position of leaning against the wall with his arms across his chest and one foot over the other. Grey eyes glare into the vacancy of the room resentfully._

_Armin and Mikasa share a curious look between each other, the blonde deciding to translate the exchange to their Captain. “We’ve been coming here since we were kids, off and on. Eren’s family stayed here for a long while too.” He cocks his head inquisitively, “why do you say it’s not lived in?”_

_“Have you looked around?” The Captain raises an eyebrow. “It’s not a house, it’s a stage. I’d re-address those memories of yours.”_

_“A stage?” He brings his finger up to his chin and tries to reason through Captain Levi’s words. This house has always been a second home for Armin, he’d spent a lot of time here when his grandfather’s sickness was progressing out of the safe zone. It was convenient his best friend’s father happened to be a doctor. Mikasa, Eren, and his mother were always in the kitchen. He thought back to accounts of many_ _days spent out in the sun while gazing at the sky and playing in Armin’s guest room._

 _That’s when it hits him. His stomach takes an unsteady churn as the obvious warning signs to an imperfect household were clouded by childish innocence. They only spent time in the kitchen when Eren’s mom was cooking, otherwise kicked outdoors for the day or confined to the bedroom. Armin’s room nonetheless._ What were they worried about him discovering? Why couldn’t they explore the house?

_He didn’t feel well. “Mikasa, do you-”_

_“I wasn’t worried about anything but Eren. It never occurred to me.” Her face mirrored Armin’s growing paleness._

~~

Shaking off the unsettling feelings that arise with the reflection and bringing himself back to the current time, Armin refocuses on the most important aspect of their previous search. Feet making solid contact with the cobblestone, signifying his arrival of the basement proper, he redirects himself to his muse for this adventure. When they had split up to search, Armin wasn’t entirely sure what he was looking for at the time. He’d half a notion that something was going to pop out at them from the way Eren had acted, and as a result had really just been making his way over to the few scant objects in the room.

Levi, on the other hand, was meticulously inspecting the walls. It hadn’t occurred to him until earlier today to question what the Captain was looking for. _Why inspect the walls, what was there to find?_ His irritable and unapproachable superior did not make the esteemed position as second in command of the Survey Corps on strength alone. It had been obvious from the start to the man that the lack of objects insinuated another hidden quality.

So Armin stands here now, drifting his hands along the length of one wall to resume Levi’s work. He starts by first detecting any obviously staggered commission, such as a protruding or indented brick in the lay. Without uncovering much fluctuation, he fastidiously knocks on each brick to test for a hollow sound. This takes a bit of time, but alas he comes up with nothing. The last order of business he can think of is to inspect the color. _Is there any area that stands out more than another? Newer or more cleanly brick? Do any of them have a strange grind mark that would indicate stone scraping to open?_ These are all facets he considers as he moves about in the basement.

But he’s disheartened when nothing stands out. With disappointment, he plops down on the ground in the center of the basement and thinks. _Am I looking for something that simply does not exist, or am I just going about it the wrong way?_ _How have I approached difficult challenges in the past to overcome them?_

He stares at the cobblestone, hyper focusing on the grains in the rocks while he thinks. His shoulders lower in deflated hope with each passing second, and the result is a very hunched Armin with his face precariously close to the floor.

This is the part where Eren would make fun of him if he were here. He’d joke about how his vision was going to go bad if he got any closer for inspection. His usually joyful and boisterous friend would have sat with him and physically straightened his shoulders to tell him to focus on the map and not the street. He misses this Eren. His spirit is deeply saddened that there’s a whole other life his friend has experienced without them being a part of. An experience that points more and more to something unfriendly the deeper they search.

 _Wait a second… the deeper they search._ _Focus on the map and not the street! I’ve been identifying and searching for the correlation without first looking at the obvious._ Armin remains seated and gazes at the wall opposite to him, concentrating on not compartmentalizing his examination. _Just look, be open to whatever strikes you as interesting. Don’t think about what would stand out, find what stands in first._

Armin sits on the ground, crisscross applesauce, until his vision starts to haze in that unfocused manner signifying his mind has drifted elsewhere. So he keeps going and rotates where he sits. _There are four walls, after all._ It’s not until he’s completed a full rotation, and then some, that he sees it. The mortar at the base of the floor before the wall is crumbled and cracked under a single brick. Up until then, the stone glue had been seamless.

He jumps up on his feet and does a little skip on his way to the prize. The closer he gets, the easier he can tell the mortar has been resealed, sloppily so. There are specs caked onto the sides of the adjacent bricks, meaning it was applied after the original grouting. More importantly, there are gaps in the mortar. _Small holes that bespeak a space behind the brick!_ He digs at the concrete substance with his nails, hoping the loose crumble will break with his prodding. Though it was not done in the most careful of fashions, the material is relatively new and proves to hold fast.

Armin runs up the stairs to retrieve a knife from the kitchen, hesitating when he reaches the cutlery drawer. It was just earlier today he’d witnessed Eren slicing into his finger and not blinking an eye. His dear friend wasn’t phased by the profuse amount of blood, nor had he flinched at the pain. Armin had watched with astonishment as he stitched together the separated tissue of his finger with practice, as if it were a common occurrence. The indecent fortifies his desperation to help, and hopefully with this discovery he can. So he pushes the reflection back and grasps the affronted knife.

Rushing back down the stares he works at the resealed material like a madman. Flake by flake, rejoicing when he pops off a larger chunk, he finally exposes an empty space. He levees off the brick at the base of the floor and uncovers the secret that lies within the tiny square.It’s… well he can’t tell what it is.

The dust has made its way through the holes in the vestigial cover job, because of this he currently stares at a particulate pit. Armin guesses by the rectangular shape that it’s a box of some sort, but after pulling it out and patting it down he detracts the idea. A plume of grey dust billows into the air, causing him to sneeze uncontrollably, the type of reaction that causes involuntary muscle movements as he jerks his arms in retribution. When he’s finally freed of his allergy induced activity, Armin notices he’s dropped the object in his fit. It lays open now, splaying pages adorned with ink drawings. _A book? No, that’s not right._ He sidles up closer to the display, taking note of the imperfections of handwritten ledgers as they fit beside the drawings. _A journal._

Not a normal journal at that. Flipping along the pages his quick inventory determines it is indeed filled with depictions of monsters. Not the phantasmal children book kind, but the monster under your bed kind. Each sketch of a nightmare is outfitted with biography notes, detailing habitat, occurrence, behavior, and weaknesses. An astute scientific approach to absolute madness. _Oh boy. This isn’t good._ Suddenly feeling a little anxious about being alone in a space Eren had previously troubled over, he makes for the stairs. Exiting the doorway and promptly slamming the door to the basement shut, he thinks he’s a bit lucky nobody is here to see the little tantrum.

Because that would be plain embarrassing.

So embarrassing, that he’s abstinent in choosing to ignore the pointed cough a few feet off in the foyer. Indeed, his face gets a little pink as he astutely stares at the closed partition hoping to hear the sound of his observer walking away.

That would be all too convenient, and the silence that extends grows in awkwardness until he’s forced to address it.

Captain Levi stands in the entrance of the foyer with one eyebrow raised in question. His laptop case is in hand, indicating he’d just gotten back from his trip with the informant. Which also means…Armin quickly looks around and ascertains Eren safe and sound a beat behind him. A relief, he was worried about the trouble magnet. The alleviation is short lived as he reads his friend’s face. Eren looks like he’s seen a ghost as he stares hauntingly at something just past him. Armin follows his gaze to the door of the basement. _Ah crap._

“I’m sorry Eren! I just wanted to double check if we missed something and I figured since we’d already been down there and you didn’t lock the door you’d be okay with me going in alone or even going in at all,” he rushes out all at once.

“It’s fine.” Eren’s tone indicates it’s anything but, and he appears to be on edge. _Man, he does_ not _like that basement._

“Levi, I’m gonna-” Eren pauses with his hand on the front door. “Can I?” He tips his head in the direction of the front yard to indicate permission to leave for a bit.

“Go.” He nods approval.

Then it’s just Armin and Levi, a static charge evident in the air. The Captain doesn’t immediately head into the parlor as per usual, instead he stands there expectantly as if he’s searching for the words he wants to say.

“Is something the matter?” Armin picks up on the tense way Levi is standing and the harsher than usual glare.

Captain Levi’s eyes flick towards him in annoyance as if to say ‘what isn’t?’. He leans against the corner of the wall and inhales for a heavy sigh, "you familiar with Jack Rutherford?”

Armin shifts awkwardly from one foot to the other. “You mean… isn’t that The Embassy’s hit man? A rumor.” He tacks on at the end with a definitive hope.

“Hit man is too particular, implies he has one specific use. He does all of The Embassy’s dirty work.” The ravenette’s face is passive as he talks.

“In the rumor, yes.” Armin reiterates. Except the Captain just shifts his arms across his chest and offers a flat stare that borders annoyance. “You can’t be ser-” he stops while he’s ahead, reading the menacing expression from his superior at the questioning his judgement. “I- that would mean it’s true. Corruption in The Embassy is true.” he continues, baffled. Armin hears concepts and ideas he shouldn’t be privy to from Hanji. That woman has a high enough stature and inquisitive mind to stick her nose in many places, whether it belongs or not. She also has an uncanny ability to blatantly share sensitive information, after all, the scientific process is about communicating results. “So your informant was Jack?”

“Tsk,” his superior seems to be irritated by the question, uncrossing his hands and running it through his hair. “No. Happens to be familiar with the brat.” 

Armin moves to question further, but his Captain interrupts him by pointedly looking at his hands and asking “what’d you got?”

Understanding a dismissal of the subject, he obediently drops the previous subject matter to store for later. Now, he fills the ravenette up to speed on his find.

He gets a grunt in response to his adventure, which is usually what signifies the end of the conversation and initiates his Captain to walk away. Levi remains leaning against the wall, which is troublesomely out of character. He gazes into the distance while seeming lost in his head. “Any chance there’s a floating woman who dictates a horde of spiders in that journal?”

Suddenly, Armin places the attitude he’s been attempting to decode from his superior. The dark circles under his eyes are more enhanced than usual, his normally decisive behavior has been dropped for long bouts of quiet consideration.

Captain Levi’s countenance is weary as exhaustion climbs to the forefront of his mannerisms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren’s wearing him down man. Someone help, give him some answers quick! I suppose the same could be said for all you wonderful readers, and it’s high time I delivered. Right after the break….
> 
> Yep, you read that right. Sorry everyone, I’m going to take a break from updates for a month. But I suppose if you know our mystery character, Jack Rutherford, then you may have a better hint as to what elements I'm blending together. This story is a hobby and very much self-indulgent, but rn my constant posting feels like a chore. Let me refresh my mind for a little bit and then I’ll be back to drop that ‘oh shit’ factor for all you lovely people.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading up to this point, and please, don’t leave me! I’ll be back I promise!
> 
> See you beauties in March <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3


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